Following the Monastic Gathering, after the bank holiday, some of us from SPEAK will go to pray and show resistance to the renewal of Trident at Aldermaston.
Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment & Burghfield are responsible for research and development, and the final assembly of missiles. It will cost us at least £100 billion to procure and then maintain a new nuclear weapons system and the current system already costs us at least £2 billion every year just to keep running. We believe this could be much better spent and that the current research capacity could be used for life giving purposes, even decommissioning!
We want to join in with the ActionAWE campaign and the many people of peace from around the UK who are saying ‘NO’ to the renewal of Trident. Action AWE (Atomic Weapons Eradication) is a grassroots campaign of nonviolent actions dedicated to halting nuclear weapons production at the Atomic Weapons Establishment factories at Aldermaston and Burghfield. The purpose is for groups and individuals to undertake autonomous actions and events from February 2013 onwards to raise awareness of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and exert political pressure for Britain to end the production, replacement and deployment of Trident and join other countries in negotiating a global treaty to ban nuclear weapons.
As followers of Jesus' way of peace, we invite you to come with us and pray or show resistance by getting in the way of this violent and deadly business. This is a peaceful and prayerful action where we will come together and bear witness to the way of true peace and justice, using words, symbols and our bodies.
Most of us are connected to SPEAK and campaigning to end government support to the arms trade; to ‘Defend Peace and Disarm Tax’! Trident is soaking up finances that could be used in positive ways, especially in this time of cuts and austerity. Please think about coming with us, and email andy@speak.org.uk if you are interested.