Devonport, Plymouth Protest
After a successful mobilisation of supporters to help blockade RAF Lakenheath in April, the next stop on CND’s nuclear bases tour of Britain takes place at the Devonport dockyard in Plymouth, on Saturday 7 June.
The base is the sole repair and refuelling facility for Britain’s nuclear submarines and is owned and operated by arms company Babcock International.
Babcock has profited massively from the costly mid-life refitting of the current nuclear-armed fleet, with the cost of refitting HMS Vanguard jumping from an initial estimate of £200 million to over £500 million.
A second contract to refit HMS Victorious has been valued at £560 million, and that’s before the work begins. Meanwhile, at the nearby South Yard Freeport, Babcock and other arms companies based there are given generous tax incentives and other benefits.
Despite all this money flowing through Devonport into the arms industry, the area remains one of the most socially deprived areas of England.
Like the BAE Systems dockyard in Barrow, the nuclear weapons industry holds back other potential investments in Plymouth. Green energy is a critical, rapidly expanding industry and the dockyard could be a major centre for wind and wave turbine construction.
Join the demonstration on 7 June
Join CND in calling out the billions being wasted on nuclear weapons – money that could be redirected into creating highly skilled, well-paid jobs that don’t threaten people and planet.
Saturday, 7 June 12 noon: Assemble on Guildhall Square, Armada Way in Plymouth city centre 1pm:
An open top bus will take everyone on a tour of Plymouth and its nuclear links 2:15pm: Assembly at the gates of the Trident nuclear dockyard, Camel’s Head, Devonport More details can be found on our event page here.
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De-escalate conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan
CND is extremely concerned by the escalating military exchanges over Kashmir between India and Pakistan, two nuclear-armed states, and calls on both to peacefully solve the ongoing crisis..v-button
Read the statement 5 for both sides to recommence dialogue to solve the crisis peacefully, CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said: “This is another shocking reminder that nuclear weapons do not keep the peace.
“Instead, they add a potentially catastrophic dimension to this escalating conventional conflict, risking not only these countries’ populations, but the entire planet.
“It underlines the urgent need for global nuclear disarmament. All nuclear weapons states need to sign up to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.”
You can read the full statement here.
