For immediate release: 22.5.03
CND is going on the road to take the campaign to the Missile Defence and nuclear hotspots across the UK. We’re starting the tour at the Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland and winding our way down the UK to end up at the US Embassy in London on June 13th – the date the ABM treaty died in 2002. It was the killing off of this treaty that allowed Bush to push full steam ahead with Missile Defence. During the tour we’ll be holding meetings, stunts, demos and stalls, taking the facts about Star Wars to the front line locations.
To find out what it’s all about, if we’re coming to a town near you, and how to get involved, read on.
1. June 4th – Faslane and Glasgow
2. June 5th – Fylingdales and Pickering
3. June 6th – Menwith Hill and Harrogate
4. June 7th – Sheffield
5. June 9th – Leicester
6. June 10th – Feltwell, Lakenheath and Bury St Edmunds
7. June 11th – Croughton and Oxford
8. June 12th – Aldermaston and Reading
9. June 13th – US Embassy in London
1. Wednesday 4th June – Faslane and Glasgow
11am – Stunt at Faslane/Helensborough
2pm – Stall in Glasgow
7pm – Public Meeting: at the STUC, Glasgow – Missile Defence and Nuclear Arsenals – a partnership for dominance
2. Thursday 5th June – Fylingdales and Pickering
12pm – Stunt at Fylingdales
3pm – Stall in Pickering
7pm – Public meeting and Public Consultation – The Changing Face Of Fylingdales – Parish Hall, Hallgarth, Pickering
Speakers: Missile Defence and Space – Dave Knight, CND Vice-President and Global Network United Nations Representative.
The campaign against Star Wars past and future – by Fylingdales Action Network and Yorkshire CNDFollowed by a chance for the audience to view their concerns, ask questions and plan for the future. The day’s events are being organised jointly with Fylingdales Action Network. More details soon.
3. Friday 6th June – Menwith Hill and Harrogate
11am – Stunt at Menwith Hill
1pm – Stall in Harrogate
7.30pm – The Changing Face Of Menwith Hill – Friends Meeting House – Queen Parade, Harrogate
It’s the world’s biggest Spy Base, it’s the brains of war, vital to the Iraq war, it’s a key military base for missile defence – it’s officially an RAF Base and its doors are closed – even to UK politicians, it’s on UK soil – but it’s unaccountable, undemocratic and shrouded in secrecy. Find out what the base does, how it’s changing and what that means for you
Speakers: Phil Willis MP, David Gee Manager Of Peace And Disarmament Programme – Quaker Peace And Social Witness, Professor Dave Webb University Of Leeds, Global Network Against Nuclear Power & Weapons In Space
Followed by a chance to ask questions.
Including Exhibition from Campaign For The Accountability Of American Bases-(CAAB): Menwith Hill – Past, Present And Future
Meeting organised by Harrogate Quakers, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Harrogate and Knaresborough Peace Group – More details 01274 7307095.
4. Saturday 7th June – Sheffield
11am – Stall and Stunt in Sheffield Town Centre
1pm – 4pm – After Iraq-Where Next? Space Weapons & US Military Power
Speakers: Carol Naughton, National CND Chair, Ian Prichard, Research Co-ordinator, Campaign Against Arms Trade-(CAAT)
Ankie Hoogvelt, Sheffield CND + Student CND (TBC)
Venue: Blind Institution, 5, Mappin Street (off West Street, Sheffield) 2.00pm – 4.00pm, Saturday, 7 June 2003
5. Monday 9th June – Leicester
11am – Stunt at Space Centre, Leicester
1pm – Stall in Leicester
7pm – Public Meeting – Friends Meeting House, Queens Road, Leicester “Missile Defence and Weapons in Space: The US War on the World”
Speakers: Carol Naughton (CND Chair) and Alan Simpson MP
6. Tuesday 10th June – Feltwell, Lakenheath and Bury St Edmunds
1pm – Stall in Bury St. Edmunds
4pm – Demonstration at Feltwell Main Gate on the B1112 then
7pm – Public Meeting – US Missile Defence – a Menace to the World with Bruce Kent at Friends Meeting House, St John Street, Bury St Edmunds. Free and Open to all (free parking in the evening on nearby St Andrews Street)
7. Wednesday 11th June – Croughton and Oxford
11am – Stunt at Croughton
2pm – Stall in Oxford
7pm – Missile Defence and weapons in Space – the New threat – Is Croughton part of the new global weapons system?
Friends Meeting House in St Giles, Oxford.
Speakers: Carol Naughton (Chair CND), local MP Gawain Little, (Oxford CND and Youth), Neil Kingsnorth (National CND Missile Defence Campaigner)
Free and open to all
8. Thursday 12th June – Aldermaston and Reading
12pm – Stunt at Aldermaston
2pm – Stall at Reading
Details of the day will include a stunt at the base and a stall in nearby Reading.
9. Friday 13th June – US Embassy in London
The Grand Finale: Pro-Missile Defence Rally at the US Embassy with Mark Thomas
Join Osama Bin Laden, Big Business men and women, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong-Il, the US Air Force, George Bush and Tony Blair as they go to the US Embassy to demonstrate FOR Missile Defence!
With all the profit that the arms corporations could make, the instability that the system will create, the arms race that will be provoked and the proof to Osama Bin Laden that he was right about US bullies all along, it’s no wonder they’re all so supportive of the idea. That’s why on June 13th – the 1st anniversary of the death of the ABM treaty, they’ll be outside the US Embassy calling for missile defence as loud as they can!
Join them dressed as a terrorist, soldier, businessperson, tyrant … turn the facts on their head and see the truth from their eyes!
Grosvenor Square, W1, London at 12pm June 13th.
Carol Naughton, Chairwoman of CND said “Following the tragic events of September the 11th we thought missile defence would have been proved to be redundant. Yet what can clearly be seen is missile defence is part of the Bush administration’s dream of the US dominance. The US Space Command document ‘Vision 20:20’ shows missile defence to be part of “Full Spectrum Dominance” – complete control of land, sea, air and space. Missile Defence does nothing to enhance the security of the world, it will only precipitate a new arms race. With the UK fully backing the plan it further puts the UK in the line of fire further endangering the lives of its citizens. The only thing that would protect people from a nuclear attack, would be to scrap all nuclear materials from this world.”
Ends…//
Notes
1. For further information about Missile Defence please contact Neil Kingsnorth, Yorkshire CND on 01274 – 730 – 795 or 07818 – 411 – 823 or Ben Miller CND Press Office 07968-420-859