Up and Atom: Winter 2007

If I can do it.....

So after years of support CND, Amnesty, Greenpeace etc - what prompted me to get off my backside and actually do something? My sons would probably say I was going through a mid-life crisis (although both have also said how proud they are of me)! When I heard that there was going to be a peace camp at Mildenhall last summer I realised that I would just have to help out. I've always regretted that I wasn't there at Greenham Common, but I had young children, a business to help run, lived in North Wales (don't' worry, I can find loads of excuses!)... and I suppose I just wasn't prepared to make the sacrifices and suffer the inconvenience that it would have entailed at the time.

We met at the assigned rendezvous on that Sunday afternoon to drive to the place that had been chosen to set up the peace camp. I didn't know anyone there, but they were all very friendly and I was made to feel really welcome. I only actually slept at the camp on the last night, but I made several visits, and although the weather could have been better, it was great sitting round the campfire in the evening (often under an umbrella!) with the other peace campers. They were a great bunch, and it lifted my heart to see such enthusiasm and dedication.

My next sortie into activism (after an inspiring demo held at the Lakenheath Airbase Gate 1 in gale force winds, driving raining and hailstones the size of marbles!) was travelling with the CND Eastern Bloc up to Faslane to help with the Faslane 365 Blockade. Yes, of course I had some reservations and concerns about doing direct action. Lying down in the road didn't seem such a big deal, but being chained and locked-on to someone...? But doing a workshop on non-violent protest, and thoroughly having had explained all the legal consequences etc, and having gone out with others from my affinity group and practically buying out a bicycle shop of their bicycle chains - I was raring to go.

We travelled up to Glasgow by coach overnight. The group I was in decided to do our action in the afternoon as all the other groups were going in the early hours of the morning. I felt very excited - and rather nervous. But when we got to Faslane, the minute I sat down on the road and locked on to 2 of my fellow activists, it just felt so right, any doubts I may have had completely disappeared. I think we managed to block part of the road for about 11/2 hours.  We were arrested for 'Breach of the Peace' (how ironic) and resisting arrest. Eventually we were taken to Clydebank Police Station, processed, fed, watered and locked up for the night (it was much warmer than the church hall!). By this time (I think there were 28 of us arrested that day) the cells were getting pretty full, so I was lucky and shared a cell with Mell and Margaret, it was rather more a feeling of a sleep-over than an incarceration! The next day we each received a letter from the Fiscal Procurator basically telling us we'd been naughty people, that we weren't going to be prosecuted this time - and not to do it again! Both at Faslane and in the police station I found the police were polite and treated us well.

After the weekend I was tired, the coach journeys had seemed interminable (plus we broke down on the way back!). I was looking forward to a bath and my own bed - but it was a great weekend, I felt totally empowered, pleased that I had actually done something - and rather guilty, because I was worried that I had enjoyed it all too much!

I will return...

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