Two anti-war breaches of RAF base in 24 hours

Glenrothes Scottish Socialist Party Press Release Tuesday 11th March 2003
Anti-war activists have breached the security at RAF Leuchars in Fife twice in twenty-four hours. The so-called "Citizens' Inspections" are made all the more embarrassing for military chiefs by the fact that one of the activists is a wheelchair user.

The Scottish Socialist Party has welcomed the non-violent direct action against the UK's 'killing machine.'

At 4.30am on Monday 10 March, wheelchair user Roz Bullen (32) and Swedish national Petter Joelson (22), both members of anti-nuclear group Trident Ploughshares, entered via holes they had cut in the boundary fence at the base. They were able to paint the slogans "A flower in your gun" and "Peace and Responsibility" in blood red paint on part of a hangar and military vehicles.

A spokesperson for the base has claimed that contractors' vehicles were targeted, but this claim is denied by sources close to the activists.

24 hours later, Danish woman, Ulla Roder (48) breached security at the base and was able to cause as yet unknown damage to a Tornado jet attached to 43 Squadron.

The Scottish Socialist Party's Peace and Disarmament spokesperson, Morag Balfour - herself a Trident Ploughshares activist - praised the activists for their successful disarmament action:

"The SSP congratulate these peaceful actions. I know all three activists really well having taken part in actions with them. They are all peace-loving global citizens who work in a non-violent manner.

"The disarmament of weaponry disables part of the killing machine that Tony Blair is poised to unleash on the innocent people of Iraq. Many of the weapons the UK and US will use are constructed using depleted uranium. The nuclear material dumped on Iraq in 1991 has been responsible for literally thousands of deaths in a country already ravaged by sanctions."

This is not Ulla Roder's first involvement with a high profile disarmament action. On 8th June 1999, Ms Roder was one of the 'Trident Three' who inflicted GBP 80,000 of damage to a research vessel linked to the Trident nuclear submarine system on Loch Goil.

The three were acquitted on 21st October 1999 after Sheriff Margaret Gimblett accepted their defence of preventing a greater crime of holocaust proportions by disarming the research vessel. This verdict was later overturned in the High Court in Edinburgh after a Lord Advocate's reference.

Notes to editors:

(1) Trident Ploughshares operate a strict code of non-violence. They conduct intensive training for activists taking part in direct action. They view the destruction of military equipment as non-violent as it prevents its use to kill people.

(2) The Scottish Socialist Party has a policy of encouraging non-violent protest and direct action against nuclear installations, and opposes the use of depleted uranium weapons.