CAMPAIGNERS BREAK INTO TOP UK NUKE BASE
AS VANUNU WALKS FREE

21 April 2004

21st April - Five peace campaigners today marked the release of Israeli nuclear whistleblower, Mordechai Vanunu, by evading security and breaking into the command and control centre for Britain's nuclear weapons programme.

The campaigners from Trident Ploughshares - Joss Garman, Graham Thompson, Sarah Shoraka, and Phillip Gordon, and a fifth person - dressed in Vanunu masks and "whistleblower" suits to gain entrance to the top security RAF Northwood. They searched for evidence of the deployment and threatened use of nuclear weapons in contravention of International law.

Joss Garman, a spokesperson for the group explained, "Mordechai Vanunu has probably done more to expose illegal WMD than anyone else in the world, and all without bombing a single Iraqi. Rather than winning the Nobel prize he so clearly deserves, Vanunu has been imprisoned for 18 years, including 12 in solitary confinement."

He continued, "Today, we acted to continue with the vital work started by Vanunu, and to expose the hypocrisy and secrecy that is government policy towards Britain's own WMD. Next week, ambassadors from the UK will meet in New York to talk about disarmament, but we need Blair to lead by example, and to disarm his own illegal and immoral WMD now."

The five were eventually apprehended inside the facility, held for 13 hours, and released to face charges of criminal damage.

Trident Ploughshares is a campaign to disarm the UK Trident nuclear weapons system in a non-violent, open, peaceful and fully accountable manner.
http://www.tridentploughshares.org