Eleven arrests at AWE demo (From This is Hampshire)

Eleven arrests at AWE demo

1:00pm Saturday 20th June 2009 in

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ARRESTS were made after the latest protest at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston.

Commuters in Tadley faced unexpected delays from 6.30am onwards on Monday as four gates were blocked by activists from Trident Ploughshares, Scrap Cars-Scrap Trident, Aldermaston Women and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Entrances affected were Boilerhouse Gate, North Gate, Tadley Gate and the Home Office Gate.

Tadley Gate was blocked by two cars with four people chained to them, another was blocked with a caravan with five people locked on to it, and protesters lying on the roads with their arms chained together blocked the other two gates.

Angie Zelter, who founded the anti-nuclear weapons group, Trident Ploughshares in 1998, said: “When our Government refuses to comply with the fundamental principles of law and undermines the whole non-proliferation process then it is up to us, ordinary people, to prevent business as usual at Aldermaston.”

Ms Zelter, who has been active in protesting at the Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland, said 16 people were involved in the AWE blockades. She added: “The campaign has moved down to Alderma-ston and there will be more actions happening here from now on. Some will be unannounced and there will be a big one in February next year, which will be ann-ounced.”

Steve Partridge, MoD Police spokesman, said that MoD police officers based on site and additional specialist MoD police removal teams were sent in to remove the protesters, and 11 were arrested on suspicion of obstructing the highway and taken to Loddon Valley police station.

Thames Valley Police officers helped to keep traffic moving.

Alan Price, head of corporate communications at AWE, said: “The protest understandably caused some inconvenience to staff travelling to work. However, AWE operations continued as normal.”