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Police Begin Arresting Anti-Nuclear Weapons Protesters at UK Naval Base

© AFP 2023 / MAURICE MCDONALDCampaigners stage a protest in front of the Trident submarine fleet naval base in Faslane, Scotland
Campaigners stage a protest in front of the Trident submarine fleet naval base in Faslane, Scotland - Sputnik International
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Police have begun arresting anti-nuclear weapons protesters currently blockading the Scottish Faslane naval base, a member of Scrap Trident group told Sputnik on Monday.

Campaigners hold an inflatable during a protest in front of the Trident submarine fleet naval base in Faslane, Scotland - Sputnik International
Activists Seek Trident Nuclear Naval Base Shutdown in Scotland
MOSCOW (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko The Faslane base hosts four UK nuclear submarines armed with Trident intercontinental ballistic missiles. The protest was triggered by British government plans to replace the current submarines with new versions of the nuclear-armed missile warships.

"The police have lined the gates of the base, but they have only just begun to arrest people now, and it looks like possibly a number of people who were locked together with lock-ons and chains have now been cut free by the police. And it is likely that they will be arrested soon," a member of the Scrap Trident Coalition, which organized the blockade, said.

At the moment, there are over 250 protesters at the base, the Scrap Trident member said.

With general elections in the country approaching, the topic of Britain's possession of nuclear weapons has come to the spotlight.

"We totally reject UK's nuclear weapons system, and we are saying that in fact the chance now with the general elections in the UK coming up that many many more anti-Trident members of parliament will be there and have the chance for stopping the replacement of the system," the activist said.

UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon confirmed earlier in April that the Conservative party intends to renew the Trident program by building four submarines in the event that it wins the elections.

The ongoing protest for the shutdown of Scotland's Faslane naval base, home to Britain's Trident nuclear-armed submarine program, is successful, a member of the group organizing the protest told Sputnik Monday.

"The base has been closed now for almost four hours. No traffic has been allowed to go in a road by the protesters. So, we are regarding it as a very successful event so far," a member of the Scrap Trident movement said.

The demonstrators will attempt to keep the base shut until 15:00 GMT, meaning almost a whole day without the workers being able to get into the base.

"It has been a great success so far," the protester said.

The base's blockade started at 07:00 GMT. The event was organized to bring public attention to renewing the Trident nuclear-armed submarine program.

The renewal of the Trident program is a hotly contested topic being debated prior to next month's general elections in the United Kingdom. Scotland's pro-independence forces oppose the presence of nuclear weapons in the country.

The UK general election is scheduled for May 7, 2015.

The Scottish National Party and the Greens oppose the Trident and nuclear weapons. The Labour Party, Conservatives' biggest opponent, has not yet clarified its stance the issue.

The UK general election is scheduled for May 7, 2015.

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