300 at Plymouth anti-nuclear protest
CAMPAIGNERS protesting against possible plans to scrap nuclear submarines at Devonport Dockyard descended on the city for an organised protest at the weekend.
Around 300 people turned out in support of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament who believe that Plymouth will be turned into a dumping ground for nuclear submarines.
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The rally began with a march through the city centre before speeches outside the Guildhall. The group then travelled to Devonport Park before a protest march along the dockyard wall, finishing at the site’s Camels Head entrance.
“We have had a great turn out with around 300 people joining us in the city,” said Plymouth TUC vice chair Dave Franklin.
Protestors from around the country travelled to Plymouth to join in with the march.
People of all ages lent their voice to the campaigning crowds, many waving ‘stop the nuclear dump’ and ‘no trident replacement’ banners.
They were protesting against the controversial Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP), which, if implemented, could see 27 de-fuelled nuclear subs stored and cut up at Devonport over the next 60 years.
“Babcock have chosen the least expensive and most dangerous of three options to dismantle decommissioned nuclear submarines in the open in the dockyard,” said Mr Franklin.
“We are concerned about the possible impact on the city both in terms of health with low level radiation levels and accidents.”
Three generations of one Plymouth family joined in with the protest. Sue Avent was one of the campaigning crowd, along with her husband, daughter and grandson.
“We do not want Plymouth to become a centre for nuclear waste,” she said.
“We are not anti-nuclear, we realise that having a nuclear deterrent is important, but we do not want a nuclear dump in a city the size of Plymouth.”
There was a small police presence at the Camels Head demonstration, which was described by MOD spokesman Guy Boswell as peaceful and ordered.
“The decision about where the SDP is going to be done hasn’t been made yet,” he said.
“A public consultation started last week and it is going to continue for some time.”
'Stop the nuclear dump at Devonport' activist video - part one
Part two
Part three
Part four
44 Comments
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by Gigantos should be re-named Gigantosser, LOL
Friday, November 06 2009, 6:40PM
“Gigantos
Well done on bringing such intelligence to the debate.
Don't you worry your little head about the issues, you just focus on what people wear.”
by Gigantos, pennycomequick
Friday, November 06 2009, 12:48PM
“LOL - Look at the state of the eco freaks.
Matted long hair - check
Stupid knitted beanie hat - check
Beige farah trousers - check
open toes sandles with varied colour socks - check
Optional rucksack circa 1993 - check
Surely have a wash and get a job.”
by John, Keyham, Plymouth
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 3:44PM
“" So here a question, how much money has to be sent to give these hippes a police escort?"
Probably a hell of a lot less than is used to escort football fans on a Saturday afternoon.
And your comment about jobs and benefits just betrays your ignorance and prejudice. It was a SATURDAY.”
by Rick O'Shay, zog
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 12:44PM
“Vanquisher says:
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet"
We can at least agree on one thing:-I don't believe that you are a senior engineer. None of my staff would post the nonsense that you have.
Rick O'Shay
Chief Executive Engineer (First Class), Devonport Dockyard
:-)”
by Matt, Plymouth
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 6:43AM
“I am born and have grown up in plymouth all my life! So here a question, how much money has to be sent to give these hippes a police escort?
How many of them have a job, and are not claiming benefits!
I feel it was a complete wast of time, and why the herold has even giving it the time of day! 300 people, I think not who was doing the counting? if you where luck there was a 100! but I think there was less than that!”
by Vanquisher, Home
Tuesday, November 03 2009, 6:32AM
“Rick.
All minor trivialities, don't believe the media hype.
You can moan all you want (I'm sure you will). As I said before, it will happen, even if luddites like you protest. Meanwhile, in a few years time, I'll have retired to Greece on the back of the money I'll have made as a senior engineer on this project.
Let the good times roll.
Cheers!”
by Rick O'Shay, zog
Monday, November 02 2009, 8:43PM
“Vanquisher quote:
"As with most aspects of life there will be risk, but it will be minimal and controllable."
-Fire at the Nuclear Plant at Dock 9, 17th June 2009: flames burst skywards from roof of nuclear facility
-9 Radioactive leaks since 1997
-March 25th 2009: radioactive water escaped from HMS Turbulent while the reactor¿s discharge system was being flushed at Devonport.
-November 2008: 280 litres of radioactive liquid escaped into the River Tamar after a hosepipe burst while contaminated water was being pumped from HMS Trafalgar.
-October 2005: 10 litres of radioactive liquid leaked out of the main reactor circuit of HMS Victorious while it was being cleaned to reduce radiation.
-May 2008: two spillages in a week: Environment Agency threaten legal action.
-10 earlier radioactive leaks between 1980 and 1997, with over 570 litres spilled.
But it's ok, Vanquisher says the risk will be controllable :-)
And "hippies standing in the way of progress"? Since when has creating a nuclear dump in a city been classed as progress?
There are some things you expect to find in a city - shops, cinemas, restaurants - and some things you don't, like nuclear dumps.”
by Vanquisher, Home
Monday, November 02 2009, 8:14PM
“Rick.
We still build ships and nuclear power plants, so your point is invalid.
This will happen, make no mistake. As with most aspects of life there will be risk, but it will be minimal and controllable.
Naivety is a handful of hippies thinking they can stand in the way of progress.”
by Rick O'Shay, zog
Monday, November 02 2009, 7:51PM
“Vanquisher, your faith in current health and safety procedures is touching but naive. I¿m sure the same logic was used by the builders of the Titanic, the operators of Chernobyl, and other disasters in the past. Each time there would have been people like you saying that accidents could not happen because engineers, designers and others were too clever to allow them to happen.
The simple fact is that a city of 250,000 people is just not the place to break up nuclear subs.”
by Vanquisher, Home.
Monday, November 02 2009, 5:59PM
“Don't be fooled by the rhetoric!
There'll be a multitude of internationally recognised engineering controls in place (as there have been for over thirty years) to prevent the sort of catastrophes the ill informed doom-mongers are predicting. Anyone who has ever worked in the Dockyard¿s controlled environments will be very aware of exactly how stringent the control systems in place are. Regular procedural auditing combined with mandatory health and environmental screening is obligatory, with personal exposure levels set at far lower than what experts considered dangerous.
Doom-mongers. The above are already proven facts. Don¿t believe everything you read on the Internet or watch on you tube.”