Encouraged by Successful Action Teachers Plan Second Blockade

The teachers are planning a second block in late September or for the 1st of October. If you know any teachers who might be interested please let them know about this. For info contact brian@faslane365.org.
Teachers
After considering doing a Teach-In on nuclear weapons which would have included a Geography Lesson on the devastating effects of nuclear weapons and the History of the use of nuclear weapons in US and UK foreign policy and military practice as a Big Stick for getting their way in geopolitics the teachers decided the best lesson they could offer was to set an example of direct resistance to this policy. Thinking of the progressive Scottish education policy decision to ban the belt as a means of classroom discipline, a moral decision based on the insight that violence was not an acceptable way to maintain social order, and encouraged by Marlynn Glen MSP, a supporting member of the group and a former teacher to make a connection between the National anti-bullying strategy and the oxymoronic UK policy of deploying Trident, they formulated a question: How can we as teachers hope to educate young people for a culture of peace and the non-violent resolution of conflicts when our government sets the immoral example of relying for security on threatening its (apparently non-existent) enemies with annihilation. Their banner read: Teachers Against Nukes: Stop Nuclear Bullying in the style of chalkboard writing but was not displayed at the gates because it was grabbed by the OSU along with supporters, who were taken into custody though they were not blockading. The teachers succeeded thanks to careful practice in getting locked-on on the South gate access road even though an OSU police car and a van of Strathclyde police were on the spot and five of the members of this group were first time lockers-on.
The Teachers’ blockade was bolstered by Julia and Lutzia, coordinators of Bang-Europe, and Regina Hagen, who had not been able to join in blockading with the European Youth because of their responsibilities as organizers and speaker, and Hannah, a postgraduate student doing research on the communication between Faslane365 and the locals, the Teachers’ Block gained unexpected strength. In forming the group at Coulport Camp we discovered that in one way or another all of us were educators. All told nine people were arrested. Three of these were supporters who were either attempting to stop traffic for safety, a vital role of which the steering group has informed the police in liason meetings, or simply getting out of the van and were arrested immediately without warning and without being asked to remove themselves from the road. Steering group members protested these arrests to the police liason as did they themselves and they were released early and it appears that they will not be prosecuted.
Chris Bluemel, a music teacher and one of those arrested said "It is estimated that a replacement for the Trident nuclear weapons system would cost £76bn over its lifetime. Yet the UN estimates that just £8bn would be enough to provide universal primary education. As a teacher, I strongly believe that the latter would be rather more likely to increase our security."
Brian Larkin, a teacher and peace activist who was also arrested said "As a teacher I believe it is my duty to help children learn to cooperate and to resolve conflicts without violence. But it is hard to teach peace when our government provides such a poor role model and relies on the threat of massive destruction for its own security."

The Teachers Blockade was part of the Faslane 365 year-long nonviolent blockade of the Faslane Nuclear Base. They join over 160 other groups who have organised blockades of the base since 1st October 2006, including health professionals, lawyers, academics and elected representatives. Their action brings the total number of arrests during Faslane 365 to 919.