On Monday, Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen councillor Ray Davies was among a group of anti-Trident protesters who chained themselves together outside the gates of a Scottish naval base. Cllr Davies was arrested and charged by police for being part of the demo.
Here he outlines his opposition to nuclear weapons and gives a picture of what the atmosphere was like on the protest.
The singing rose and spread across the perimeter fence at Faslane nuclear submarine base. The military complex is an ugly scar in the middle of the area of stunning natural beauty around Loch Lomond; we had seen the sinister black submarines crawl along the Clyde amongst the pleasure boats.
Heightened tensions in North Korea are threatening nuclear Armageddon. The continuing financial crisis makes the economic argument against Trident even more compelling. The Scottish National Party has voted to throw out Trident, while Carwyn Jones of the Welsh Government has offered to take the poison chalice. The time was ripe to demand that our politicians abandon our nuclear arsenal.
We had started early on the long journey from South Wales up to Kinning Park community centre in Glasgow. Here we met up with many old friends, veteran peace campaigners from around the world; but more important, we met the young people who were prepared to risk their freedom to save our beautiful planet. It was an amazingly diverse group. Amongst them were environmental activists, middle aged housewives, asylum seekers, priests. The workshops included training in non violent direct action workshops, legal issues, and of course, singing, led by Protest in Harmony.
At dawn, several coachloads converged on the town of Helensburgh to join the mass blockade of the north and south gates of Faslane. The police were out in full force; but although outnumbered, the protesters were determined to disrupt the deadly work behind the barbed wire perimeter fence. Quickly we filled the road with our bodies, locked together with ingenious devices to make it harder to separate the tangle of legs, arms and bodies. I thought for a moment the police had had a change of heart when one lay down on the road beside a protester, but it was only to see how the locks were attached. Locked on protesters gave interviews with camera crews, played guitar.
The police inspector came forward with his loudspeaker, trying to look in charge. But as he began to warn the crowd, his words were drowned out by chants of “Welfare not warfare!”, whistles, drums, and singing- “We shall not, we shall not be moved”. The pompous inspector was met with gales of laughter when he announced through his megaphone, “This is for your own health and safety.”
“What the hell do you think we are doing here, if it’s not for the safety of our planet”, we responded.
The police experts set to with sophisticated cutting equipment; but as soon as one tube was cut, another protester took their place. The two gates at Faslane were successfully blocked for several hours.
The songs of resistance grew louder. Each time someone was carried away a cheer would arise, and we sang, “O my brother. O my sister, stand very firm”. It was a moving sight. Those of us who were locked on were joined together, not just with tubes and chains, but in the deep seated belief that we are on the side of right.
Eventually the last link was cut and we were carried away into the police vans.
The closing ceremony outside the gates was addressed by a number of speakers. A representative of the disabled activists network drew our attention to the grotesque injustice that , at a time when cuts threaten disabled people a with the loss of their dignity, mobility and livelihood, the government wants to develop a new nuclear missile system at a cost of £100 billion. The action drew to a close with those present even more determined to work towards seeing an end to Trident.
Forty-seven were arrested and slowly processed in Greenock and Glasgow police stations: fingerprinted, DNA samples taken, photographs taken.
Very late that evening I was released, and we made our way back down the motorway in the dead of night.
As we left England and entered Wales, my last thought was of the young police officer who said to me after I was charged, “What on earth are you doing shackled on the wet ground, at your age, Mr Davies?”
“Why?” I answered.” The greatest legacy I an leave the world, my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren is a beautiful planet unpoisoned by nuclear radiation. As long as I have breath to sing, to walk, to protest, I will use it for peace, and to make our dream a reality.”
Ray Davies
Ray should be commended for his public display of repulsion against the replacement of Trident. There aren't many people who would go to such lengths to fight for what they beleive in. Allthough I know Ray has been a long – time campaigner for nuclear disarmarmant, you have to say that given the swingeing cuts to services up and down the land, the case for the scrapping of Trident will only have been heightened in recent years.
I beleive that the case for scrapping Trident is compelling. We don't need these redundant weapons and it will be a travesty if they are replaced. No doubt that cuts to every day services and benefit cuts to the poorest will help pay the massive multi – billion pound bill for Trident. Yet again this is another example of the government being on the wrong side of public opinion. It can not, and is not justified on any level. All war is a failure of diplomacy. Our leaders need to recognise that before embarking on this madness.
A whole lot of waffle lacking any semblance of a coherent argument other than 'bit expensive'. That said, it is refreshing to see someone stand up for what they believe in.
I agree with James every word, including:-
"Yet again this is another example of the government being on the wrong side of public opinion".
However, I would add, at any level of political representation, ALL Politicians have to have due recognisance of this statement, from which ever party they represent.
You have to wonder whether Mr Davies is a fit and proper person to be a councillor following his arrest and being charged by the police. Mr Davies is innocent until proven guilty of course, if convicted however he should stand down from his role as councillor.