Pictures of Beloved Grandchildren Left on Faslane Fence

Grandmothers for Peace sang songs, talked with police and left banners and pictures of their grandchildren on the fence when they demonstrated at the North Gate of the Faslane nuclear base for two days, August 23-24. While they were there, an 'Incident Support Unit' was called to cover up a spillage of flammable and noxious substances from a lorry approaching the base, causing a hazard to road-users and police, as well as the protesters. Three days later, several photographs of grandchildren and babies remained on the Faslane fence, reminding passers by of the importance of life and peace.

Organiser Annie Tunnicliffe of London said, "Replacing Trident is a folly of immense proportions - morally indefensible, defensively unusable and economically crippling. We do not need and cannot use nuclear weapons - all Trident does is make us less safe, a sitting target... macho posturing to maintain a so-called independent nuclear deterrent."

Janet Tirrel from Cheshire said, "I want to live in a country of peace, that does not spend millions on weapons of mass destruction, that does not have fantasies of world power, and that does not engage in unjustifiable foreign wars, where thousands of innocents die and our own young people are sacrificed."

Alison Lea celebrated the birth of her first grandchild by sewing his photograph onto a banner and bringing it to Faslane. "Being a new grandmother is really special, and made me think of the future that my grandson is being born into - I want it to be a peaceful, happy, healthy future, and I feel that Scotland needs every encouragement to get rid of these evil weapons."

A number of local grandmothers, from Argyll and Dunbartonshire joined the Grandmothers for Peace at the North Gate on one or both days of their block. Olivia Agate from Helensburgh said, ""Scotland doesn't need or want Trident. As a grandmother of four, I feel very strongly that Trident is not a deterrent. It is the most aggressive weapon on earth and would harm the planet if it was ever used, either by accident or design. It is also a terrible waste of money and resources."