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AWE Aldermaston Opened For Disarmament By Christian Peace Activists

Three Christian peace activists were arrested at AWE Aldermaston after opening the base for disarmament. The three, Fr. Martin Newell (43), Passionist priest from the London Catholic Worker, Susan Clarkson (63) of the Oxford Catholic Worker,  and Chris Cole (47) also from Oxford,  cut a doorway into the outer fence of nuclear base. The group then attached a sign saying ‘Open for Disarmament: All Welcome’.  The three then entered the base, through the new gateway, knelt and prayed.

In a statement the three said: “We come to the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston to open a new  gateway into this tightly guarded factory of death. We come inspired by the message of Jesus to love our enemies, to be peacemakers and to live and act nonviolently at all times. This week marks the 30th anniversary of the first act of nuclear disarmament, the ‘Ploughshares 8’, and we act  inspired by that spirit of disarmament. We believe that AWE Aldermaston, and its extensive and expensive new development programme, needs to be exposed for what it is: a factory for the creation of weapons of mass destruction which have the power to destroy this beautiful world, given to us by God, our loving creator, to care and tend.

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For further details contact Ciaron O’Reilly:  07939 290 576 ciaronx@yahoo.com

Photos available from:

London Catholic Worker website: http://www.londoncatholicworker.org/

POSTED 06.09.10 BY: Aaron Kennedy | Comments (1)

One Response to “AWE Aldermaston Opened For Disarmament By Christian Peace Activists”

  1. On September 6th, 2010 at 5:25 pm Vanessa said:

    I once heard someone from Ploughshares speak at Greenbelt about acts of ‘non-violent’ resistance and protest to the UK arms trade. I was then and still am very moved by the level of commitment required to ‘break the law’ in these kinds of ways and be willing to take on a prison sentence which can be the outcome of such acts. I thank God for this kind of witness against the ‘blood’ that is on our hands through Britain’s eager participation in the arms trade.