The Really Big Blockade- Here's the Story!

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday May 12, 2003 19:41 by St.John 0228281 at student dot ul dot ie

Here' the story (or how I saw it anyway) of the Really Big Blockade at Faslane and the Irish crew's trip over, written for the good people at Peace news in London. Give it a look!

The Really Big Blockade

We came from Ireland, the Emerald Isle disgorging 24 of its finest sons and daughters onto the unsuspecting folk of Caledonia. We came to view at first hand an area that has the potential to visit unspeakable horrors on ordinary people like you and I. And most of all, we came to shut down Faslane nuclear base to preserve a day of sanity, taking our place alongside the beautiful group of people that the winds had brought from all over Europe, and beyond.
Food, workshops, materials and perhaps the coolest venue I’ve had the pleasure of visiting were just some of the facilities laid on for us. I knew all about the atrocity being committed in Scotland, the incredible amount of manpower, resources etc. wasted in producing this insanely destructive force, but to see the belief within our hosts was truly inspiring. With people like this, we will someday achieve the impossible.
On Monday, we attended a non-violent direct action workshop. The evening was spent making banners, costumes, lock-on equipment and new friends. Those who were ‘arrestable’ among our group joined forces with a group of Swedes to form two rings for locking-on. We decided to blockade the two oil-fuel depot gates the next day.
4 a.m. saw the dark (!) and early rise of the first wave. We split between the two gates. After a few fairly uneventful hours (bar some colourful visitors, and some ladies locking the gate before disappearing!) we were relieved by another crew. Supplies were taken on board, and then we heard the word. They were trying to get the South Gate open!
We proceeded to lock-on again, and waddle (the gear was kind of unwieldy!) up towards the other team who had arrived ahead of us. Sadly, Strathclyde’s fluorescent friends stopped us before we got that far. As this was happening more groups appeared, until a string of us were dotted all the way along the loch-side!
We were removed in due course, and taken to the police station where I proceeded to conk out almost immediately! Upon release, we were brought back to Warehouse, where a lovely reception awaited, with a touching memento from the Peace Camp: a link from the Faslane fence.
And that was it! Our stay was unfortunately much too short, but it was also powerful, enjoyable, interesting and most of all empowering. All I can say is thank you to Trident Ploughshares and Scottish CND. Keep fighting the good fight!