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Arran Church of Scotland minister Rev John Webster was arrested again last week.
John, who is locum minister for Kilmory and lives at Kings Cross, was one of 600 protesters demonstrating outside the Faslane submarine base on the upper Clyde. He is a member of the Arran Justice, Peace and Environment Group and a veteran of anti-nuclear demonstrations.
‘This is the fourth time that I have been arrested at peace demonstrations,’ he told The Banner.
‘I was charged with breach of the peace and obstructing the highway. The police are always good natured though; half of them are on our side.’
He was detained from 11am to 8pm and released after charges.
The minister is passionately opposed to the Trident nuclear missile submarine fleet and was one of 170 people arested at the mass rally which marked the end of the year-long 365 demonstration. The Faslane 365 project was a one-year continuous peaceful blockade of the Trident base which started on October 1, 2006. It was attended by peace groups from all over the world and apparently received a message of support from Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond. Over the course of the year more than 1,100 people were arrested at the base.
Rev Webster said: ‘I apologise for all the expenses involved but at least it gets people talking about it. I stand on Christian morality and quote the words of Paul from the Bible: ‘I choose to obey God rather than Man.’
Faslane has been the UK base for Polaris submarines since 1968 and the planned replacement for Trident could cost £40 billion. The Arran Justice, Peace and Environment Group meets at the Ormidale Hotel, Brodick on the first Monday of the month.
