Free The Trident 2

Last week Ungagged reported on the Trident 2 – pensioners Brian Quail and Angela Zelter who were jailed for peacefully protesting the Trident WMDs held in Scotland.

We at Ungagged are increasingly concerned for the health and wellbeing of Brian and Angela, and will be sending them a letter of support today.

The undersigned are friends of Ungagged who abhor the existence of these weapons of indiscriminate murder. We feel that locking up pensioners with health problems for the “crime” of peaceful protest is a disproportionate reaction which infringes on their civil liberties, and sets a worrying precedent for the right to peacefully express dissent, which is absolutely vital for any functioning democracy.

Please show your support by adding your name and messages of encouragement in the comments.

We hope you are well.

 

We would also like to thank you for your actions on the behalf of all humanity, in drawing attention to the dreadful weapons housed in Scotland.  And we thank you for trying, with all you can, to hinder the ongoing crime of the creation, upkeep and housing of illegal weapons of mass murder and destruction on Scottish/ UK soil and on the soil and in the waters of the earth.

 

We at Ungagged fully support your actions, and indeed will support future actions by you, or anyone else, to try to rid the world of these machines of murder.

 

The justification of these weapons- jobs, defence, status and profits, are no defence at all with the evidence recently put to the UN and world governments of literally millions of deaths and birth defects caused by their use and production.

 

Millions of people are directly affected by the many bombs tested, and of course the two awful events in Japan in 1945. Yet, here in Scotland, 35 miles away from where I type, are housed an arsenal that could trigger the extinction of our species and many others.

 

Profits and jobs from war, “when we should be diving for pearls,” as the Elvis Costello song goes.

 

Weaponry justified, supported and promoted by profit takers in our legal system, our democratic system and our media who keep us as chickens, scratching in the dirt and accepting the scraps we are thrown when we could be soaring high with our sisters and brothers as eagles.

 

Morally this is wrong.  All of it.

 

We in the United Kingdom have in the past few weeks witnessed the absurdity of advocates for the jobs, defence, status and profits “gained” by the creation and upkeep of these weapons, denigrate political leaders who say they would not use nuclear weapons.  Their absurd notion that the use of nuclear weapons that will indiscriminately kill us all is a thing of strength – an act of love?

 

The politics of the mad organ playing, cat stroking Bond/ Pink Panther films seems to be the politics of the present hegemony.  And many, good people, like the dolphins in the Bikini Islands loyally following the nuclear test ships, seem to follow this logic.

 

Through actions like yours, more and more of us are looking to the sky and taking off.  We are learning about the murders that have happened in our names, and the murderous capacity of the rockets and their cargo based in Faslane. Through the “infinitesimally small thing” you do, you carry out a huge act of love for all of life on this world.

 

Signed

Neil Scott, Co Producer, Ungagged

V Pearson, Co Producer, Ungagged

Louise Robertson, Co-founder of Faslane Peace Camp

Les Robertson, Co-founder of Faslane Peace Camp

Maggi Sale, Grandmother of the Burning Hearth GCEF, PMS 1982 Convenor and Co-Founder of Faslane Peace Camp

Councillor Mary Bain Lockhart, former peace prisoner, Cornton Vale

Councillor Jim Bollan, socialist activist

Stuart Cosgrove, Scottish writer and broadcaster

Tam Dean Burn, actor.

Alan Bissett, novelist and playwright

Mark Little, Actor, Comedian, Friend of Ungagged

Paul Kavanagh, “Wee Ginger Dug,” writer, journalist.

Anmer Anwar, Human Rights Lawyer & Rector of University of Glasgow.

Alastair McIntosh, Scottish writer, academic and activist

Abi Wilkinson, journalist

Fuad Alakbarov, Human Rights Activist and Ungagged Contributor

Harjit Singh, Sikhs for Scotland

Jackie Walker, anti-racist activist

Richie Venton, Scottish Socialist Party, Ungagged Contributor

Steven Purcell, former Labour Leader of Glasgow City Council, Ungagged contributor

Debra F. Torrance, Ungagged Artistic Designer and contributor

John McHarg, aYe Scotland, Ungagged Contributor

Robert Mcewan, Anyvoices.

Alan Young, View from Gorgie fanzine, Fodderty

Neil Anderson, Editor, Ungagged

Joe Solo, Musician, activist and Ungagged Contributor

David Rovics, musician

The Wakes, musicians

Thee Faction, musicians

The Argonauts, musicians

Guttfull, musicians

Marshall Chipped, musicians

Natalie Webster, musician

Katherine Stewart, musician

Roy Møller, musician, Ungagged Contributor.

Alan Smart, Activist, Musician.

Pauline Bradley, musician.

Gavin Paterson, musician.

Red Raiph, artist, activist and Ungagged Contributor

Janine Booth, poet and Ungagged Contributor

Steve McAuliffe, Poet, Ungagged Contributor

D.S. Macpherson, musician, Ungagged Contributor

Babel Fish Project, musicians

Alison Barton, artist at Defiaye

Dave Riley, Socialist Alliance, Australia.

Allan Grogan, founder Labour for Independence, Ungagged Contributor

Ruth Hopkins, Dakota & Lakota (Sioux) writer, blogger, activist and judge, Ungagged Contributor

Damanvir Kaur, Sikh activist, research fellow,  Ungagged contributor

Phantom Power Films,

Collin Parks, President, Radio KRFP, Ungagged Contributor

Max Newland, Ungagged Contributor

Kevin Gibney, Independence Live, Ungagged Contributor

David McGowan, Independence Live, Ungagged Contributor

Christopher Graham, Bikers for Yes, Ungagged Contributor

Mariola Fiedorczuk, radio broadcaster, Ungagged Contributor

Nick Durie, Community Activist, Ungagged Contributor

John Andrew Hird, Activist, CWI. Ungagged Contributor

Sandra Webster, Activist, Ungagged Contributor

Tommy Ball, Activist, Ungagged Contributor

Chuck Hamilton, Ungagged Contributor

Em Dehaney, Ungagged Contributor

Dr. Bruce Scott, Ungagged Contributor

Sarah Mackie, Ungagged Contributor

Mara Leverkuhn, Ungagged Contributor

Teresa Durran, Ungagged Contributor

Amber Heather Poppitt, Ungagged Contributor

Ruth McAteer, Ungagged Contributor

Matthew Geraghty, writer, Ungagged Contributor

David McClemont, Co-Convenor of the South Lanarkshire Green Party

Brian Reid, Community Activist

Ian Maclellan, activist

Des Kenny, EIS Equalities Representative.

Danielle Ni Dhighe, U.S. Activist

Dr Marilyn Sangster, activist

John Couzin, Producer, Radical Glasgow blog

Alasdair McDougall, Activist

Alan Wyllie, Activist

Gabriel Neil, Activist

Ian Sanderson, Yes Alliance & SNP Tarbert

Catriona Grant, feminist and socialist

Joanne Telfer, IGS editor

Liam Young, socialist activist

Rikki Reid, socialist activist

Liz Swan, socialist activist

James Keegans, socialist activist

James McGinn, socialist activist

James Carroll, socialist activist

Charlie McCarthy, socialist activist, friend of Ungagged

Brian Watson, Branch Vice Convener Bearsden SNP, friend of Ungagged

Ryan Pearson, Milton Keynes

Michael Scott, Glasgow

Lauren Reid, Bathgate

Dr Sonya Scott, friend of Ungagged

Colin McKenna, friend of Ungagged

Jean Torrance, friend of Ungagged

E. Laodi, friend of Ungagged