Peaceful anti-nuclear protests punished

[Other News - Roberto Savio / IPS <soros@topica.email-publisher.com>]

Jail for One, Hefty Fine for Another

Yesterday one anti-Trident activist was sent to jail and another was given
a hefty fine for protesting at  Britain’s nuclear weapon submarine
base at Faslane.

Jane Tallents (45), from Helensburgh, was sent to Cornton Vale prison for
14 days after refusing to pay a fine for blockading the base. On 6th
February last year she was one of four activists who blocked the north gate
of the base, while a group of others prevented worker traffic getting into
the south gate. Cars were tailed back for at least five miles and the gates
were shut for an hour. In August last year she was fined £290 by Justice
of the Peace Fraser Gillies in Helensburgh District Court.

Jane has been determined all along that she would on principle not pay the
fine and regards spells in prison as an occupational hazard for a peace
activists who challenge the UK’s weapons of mass destruction.

Ann Kobayashi from Wickford in Essex took part in the mass blockade of
Faslane in April last year. It was alleged that she had committed a breach
of the peace by handing leaflets to base workers in their cars at the south
gate of the base after being warned by police to get off the roadway. At
the Helensburgh court yesterday JP Gillies fined her £325.

Ann, who won a High Court appeal in October 2001 against the same
magistrate for an excessive fine, will appeal. She told the JP that she
would not be paying up. Not only was the fine disproportionately severe,
but she had been thoroughly justified in what she had done.

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: “Both the verdict and the
sentence on Ann are complete nonsense. This magistrate appears to have a
very personal investment in punishing peaceful protesters.”

Contacts:       David Mackenzie 0870 458 3117  (07876593016)
                media@tridentploughshares.org
                www.tridentploughshares.org




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