Two peace activists have been arrested this morning after entering Devonport naval dockyard in Plymouth. One of the women has been remanded in custody. They have been charged with criminal damage and going equipped to cause criminal damage.
Trident Ploughshares pledger Susan Brackenbury, and Shirley Law, a member of South West Women for Peace, entered the dockyard in the early hours of this morning with the intention of boarding Trident nuclear missile submarine HMS Vanguard and doing damage to either delay its re-fit or take it out of service. They are being held at the city’s Charles Cross police station.
At yesterday's hearing in Plymouth Magistrates Court the women pled not guilty to both charges and stated their preference for a Crown Court trial. Since Sue breached bail conditions by approaching the dockyard she has been remanded in custody. She will be held in Eastwood Park* prison in Gloucester-shire until the next hearing on 22nd December. There will also be a hearing on 17th November, by video link, to deal with the charge against Sue relating to 22nd September when she was arrested with Matt Bury at the dockyard’s perimeter fence.
Shirley Law, 57 from Plymouth, said, "The reason for my entering the dockyard was to do my best to disarm HMS Vanguard. I have grave concerns about the safety aspects & the health risks to the local environment and the population of Plymouth. Today is "Remembrance Sunday" so my action is for all victims of war, whether military or civilian and those who died or survived the bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki"
Susan Brackenbury, 28, of Faslane Peace Camp in Scotland said,
"This action today is to disarm Trident so we don’t hear of people crying for their loved ones, due to the actions of an order to use nuclear missiles given. Our acts of disarmament are intended to stop ongoing criminal activities under well recognised principles of international law"
A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: "Although Sue has been jailed and both women are being treated as criminals the real crime is Trident and the real criminals are those who are ensuring that it remains a threat to the world. Both Sue and Shirley are looking forward to putting to a Crown Court jury the unanswerable case against weapons of mass destruction."
*HMP Eastwood Park Falfield Wotton-under-Edge Glos GL12 8DB 01454 262100
http://www.tridentploughshares.org/
http://www.faslanepeacecamp.org.uk/
At yesterday's hearing in Plymouth Magistrates Court the women pled not guilty to both charges and stated their preference for a Crown Court trial. Since Sue breached bail conditions by approaching the dockyard she has been remanded in custody. She will be held in Eastwood Park* prison in Gloucester-shire until the next hearing on 22nd December. There will also be a hearing on 17th November, by video link, to deal with the charge against Sue relating to 22nd September when she was arrested with Matt Bury at the dockyard’s perimeter fence.
Shirley Law, 57 from Plymouth, said, "The reason for my entering the dockyard was to do my best to disarm HMS Vanguard. I have grave concerns about the safety aspects & the health risks to the local environment and the population of Plymouth. Today is "Remembrance Sunday" so my action is for all victims of war, whether military or civilian and those who died or survived the bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki"
Susan Brackenbury, 28, of Faslane Peace Camp in Scotland said,
"This action today is to disarm Trident so we don’t hear of people crying for their loved ones, due to the actions of an order to use nuclear missiles given. Our acts of disarmament are intended to stop ongoing criminal activities under well recognised principles of international law"
A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: "Although Sue has been jailed and both women are being treated as criminals the real crime is Trident and the real criminals are those who are ensuring that it remains a threat to the world. Both Sue and Shirley are looking forward to putting to a Crown Court jury the unanswerable case against weapons of mass destruction."
*HMP Eastwood Park Falfield Wotton-under-Edge Glos GL12 8DB 01454 262100
http://www.tridentploughshares.org/ http://www.faslanepeacecamp.org.uk/ 
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