Anti-nuclear Activists Arrested At Scottish Naval Base

LONDON, Aug 23 (AFP) - About a dozen anti-nuclear protesters including members of the Scottish parliament were arrested Monday at a Scottish naval base where the Royal Navy's fleet of Trident nuclear submarines are stationed, the activists' group said.
The Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament (CND) said 350 demonstrators tried to block the entrances to the Naval Base Clyde in Faslane, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Glasgow.
The group, including politicians, religious leaders and peace activists from several European states, denounced Prime Minister Tony Blair's "hypocrisy" of waging war over dubious stocks of weapons of mass destruction while keeping an arsenal here.
"Like many people in Scotland, I struggle to understand the hypocrisy of a prime minister who takes us into an illegal war in Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that don't exist while he's happy to make room in Scotland for the most lethal bombs possible," said Nicola Sturgeon, a lawmaker from the Scottish National Party (SNP).
"It's high time that we told Westminster (British parliament) we don't want these weapons on our river," she said.
Four Green party members of Scottish parliament also joined the demonstration.
Britain has four nuclear-powered submarines in its fleet: the Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant and Vengeance.
More than 100 people were arrested at a similar protest in front of the base in April last year.