Three Pensioners arrested for Peace and Love on Valentine's Day

Three OAPs were arrested today at the Pensioner’s for Peace Valentine’s Day demonstration at Faslane naval base in protest against government plans to upgrade the Trident nuclear missile system.

Harry McEachan, 71 of Largs, Olivia Agate, 66 of Helensburgh and Irene Willis, 61 of Essex were arrested when they laid down in the road and blocked the North gate of the base. Each of them was carried out of the road by 4 or 5 police officers when they refused to move.

Harry McEachan, spoke to the small group which included pensioners, grandparents and parents with children. He said “Our grandchildren will have to pay for Trident, which will cost up to £100 Billion. This money should be spent on improving the health service and childcare which it has just been reported is gets less funding than anywhere in Europe.” Standing in front of a lifesize photo of Mahatma Gandhi, McEachan said “If Gandhi was alive today he would be here with us joining in the civil resistance against these weapons of mass destruction. It’s a disgrace that Gordon Brown claimed to have learned anything from Gandhi. If he had he would not be planning with Tony Blair to waste Billions of pounds of public money on these weapons of mass destruction. The spirit of Gandhi is with us today.”

McEachan was arrested last week in Edinburgh for distributing leaflets announcing the protest from the ramparts of the Castle when the One O’clock gun was fired. He was also escorted out of Scottish Parliament when from the public gallery he called First Minister Jack McConnell a “disgrace to Scotland for not heeding the will of the people of Scotland who overwhelmingly want rid of Trident and a disgrace for doing what Tony Blair tells him.”

All of the three have been arrested more than once since the beginning of the Faslane365 year-long blockade of the nuclear weapons base.
To date there have been 517 arrests at the Trident sub base since the campaign began on the 1st of October.

The broadcaster Jimmy Reid had intended to attend the demonstration today but was unable to attend due to ill health.