Faslane 365 Eastern & Q bloc

Norfolk Quakers were able to take advantage of a 2 for 1 offer on our trip to Faslane – that is 2 blockading groups for one journey. And what a journey – overnight on the coach, arriving in Glasgow for breakfast at 4am, then off to the barricades. And a breakdown on the way home.

We were in an affinity group called the contrary canaries. None of us wanted to arrested, so we took on a support role, which turned out to be quite demanding. The larger Norwich bloc had many ‘arrestables’, some of them quite inexperienced, but all impressively well organised and determined.

‘Arrestables’ is shorthand for people willing to continue in their action until taken away by the police, usually arrested and charged, but on this occasion just detained long enough to stop them returning to the blockade. (The police know that our stint is 2 days).

Of 40 people on our Norwich coach 22 (or was it 28) got arrested. All were released the next day without charge, just a letter telling them not to be naughty again. We had agreed collectively that Norwich people would only get arrested on Thursday, so as not to hold up the coach coming home.

On the Friday, 25 non-Norwich Quakers were arrested – some of them dancing in front of the gates until stopped. If they’d sat down at the moment of arrest, they could have kept the gate shut for ages, but it’s not that easy to do,…..

Other roles include 'Support elves' – who take care of people in the blockade – anything from adjusting their specs, feeding them, to emptying a pee-pot. Sometimes they get arrested too, so it’s a job for people to risk arrest but not to invite it. Jaqui was poached from our group to support another and was ‘accidentally’
arrested.

Legal observers – who watch carefully from
the pavement or just outside the action area- take names of people arrested and numbers of police-people who misbehave (rare but far from unknown). On our piece of the action they threatened and actually used pressure points to move people. This involves applying pressure to a nerve on the face/ears to cause pain and force compliance. The student they did this to may well have a case for complaint, which we will back up with our notes. I have heard, but cannot verify, that the local Strathclyde police are complaining to at least one other force that their heavy handedness with us is undermining the good community relations built up over many years.

Transport – booking vehicles, drivers, liasing with, say coach company facilitators for consensus decision-making domestic arrangements - booking accommodation, catering

Legal support was very well managed from home, thanks to Felicity and her team, as was local press liason, courtesy of Davida –known to many of us as a long time activist.

What I learned

You’re only as good as your team

Support people, like arrestables cannot be everywhere at once and we had to separate and take on multiple roles to cover both gates at once.

This was ok but we could have been better prepared for it.

Eg who would work together, Was it ok to ask kids to act as support elves (Ruth loved doing this)

Some groups had plenty of arrestables but very few support people, and our presence ennabled them to all take on their chosen role, rather than have to find people from within their group to stand aside from the action. Support can be an unglamorous task, made conspicuous by its absence, it deserves to be valued in its own right as well as for training for riskier things.

Tactics
Strategy is well known – shut down the base.
We found ourselves using military language – take, hold the gate
Saw people walking away under police escort just
after they sat down – value of lock-ons, or even linked arms or going limp makes a huge difference to how long you can hold out. One woman dropped to the ground 2 or 3 times in the 20 yards from blockade to police van - a journey which lasted perhaps 30 minutes, keeping the gate shut single-handed.

Know your rights
Our coach stopped at the peace camp and the police told the drivers we would not be allowed to continue to north gate. They faffed and made phone calls and told the drivers they were waiting for instructions.

Then Angie came along and asked why we were being prevented from going about our lawful business – had we committed a crime, were we being arrested – if not we were being unlawfully detained and must be let go – she told the drivers to get back on the coach and drive and they did - However they were so worried about disobeying the cop that when we asked them later to collect our arrestees from the police station, they were too scared to go near it and refused point blank.
This is a police liason role worth preparing in advance – delay allows the situation to get entrenched, so no time for consensus decision making - If you know your rights and assert them, you have more authority than a copper who doesn’t.

………………………………………………..

Notes
It’s really important to write down what we saw re pressure point use - see below, but my memory is getting vaguer.

They threatened Ellie but didn't use them on her, they did use the technique on Rory - can you remember time, was it before/ after cutting d-locks, what was he doing at the time?

Then later he asked if we had any complaints, I said yes, re pressure points.

The officer said it was technique of last resort, and that Rory’s moving his limbs was making it dangerous to use the cutting equipment. I said that if it was dangerous he should pull back, but he replied that that was not an option.

All the yellow jackets here support your cause

If anyone in the police really wants nuclear weapons, I’d question their being in the force. (So why’s he a mod plod, I’d believe it if he were civilian)

MoD plod recognised me from Lakenheath, and was interested in our case as they’re testing new law on us – law that we were campaigning against in the then Home Secretary’s constituency – this time last year.

So I asked him - Has SOCAP been used for Serious organised Crime?

I dunno, I don’t deal with serious organised crime.

(No number, he didn’t want to be quoted.)

/Lesley