Academics and Scholars

Press Release: Faslane, January 7, 2007

More than 70 eminent academics and scholars held a seminar blockade on the insanity and illegality of nuclear weapons at the Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland. After four hours, seminar participants, which included students from the Universities of Oxford, Sussex and Edinburgh, as well as professors, lawyers and lecturers, decided to conduct the rest of the seminar in front of the North (main) gate of the base, where it continued for a further 6 hours in pouring rain. Altogether 34 professors, lecturers and students were arrested, charged with “breach of the peace” and detained at several police stations in and around Glasgow.

2nd FAB Blockade & Conference
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Universities Vs. Weapons of Mass Destruction - Part 2

NOT JUST AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE:
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The 2nd Faslane International Academic Blockade & Conference (FAB Conference) will provide a forum for presenting and discussing papers focused on the impacts of, and alternatives to, the nuclear state. In particular it will focus on the academic arguments against Blair’s proposed ‘son of Trident’ which it is estimated will cost the UK £76 billion by 2030, equivalent to the cost of bringing our CO2 emissions down by 60% over the same period.

Here you can read the information sent out by Stellan Vinthagen on the first academic blockade,this information was sent out in November 2006 and the blockade took place on 7 January 2007.

UK Indymedia

Faslane, near Glasgow, June 27, 2007

Over 40 academics and students gathered today at the nuclear base of Faslane in Scotland in a bid to convince new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to scrap his plans to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system. The conference and blockade combined academic discussion with non-violent direct action blockading the base[1]. The academics insisted Gordon Brown justifies his commitment to Trident to the intellectual community, as well as to his deputy leader, Harriet Harman, as he has so far failed to do so. The conference and blockade was especially timely, occurring two weeks after MSPs voted overwhelmingly against Trident’s replacement, at odds with Westminster. There is also increasing public disquiet about the cost to UK tax payers exceeding £50 billion[2].

Why Academics Should Oppose Trident:
A Symposium on the Renewal of British Nuclear Weapons

This meeting discussed the 'Universities vs. Weapons of Mass Destruction' blockade of Faslane nuclear base on 27-28th June. Presentations were followed by open discussion among students and university staff.