ALDERMASTON WOMEN TRASH TRIDENT

Early on February 1, 2000,  Rosie James and Rachel Wenham, both from Leeds, England and peace activists from the Aldermaston Women’s Group, safely and nonviolently prevented a British Trident from temporarily leaving its dock as part of the Trident Ploughshares 2000 disarmament campaign. The two swam 300 meters in wet suits to the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard where the HMS Vengence Trident was docked. They swam in freezing conditions in the dark with their disarmament equipment of hammers, chisels, crowbars, screw-drivers and paint. Once aboard the sub, they hung a banner on the conning tower, which read “Women Want Peace” and painted the words “Illegal Death Machine” and peace and women’s symbols on the sub. The women then dismantled radio equipment used to launch weapons of mass destruction. The women were arrested and taken into custody. Three other supporters were later arrested as they brought dry clothes to Rachel and Rosie--their charges were soon dropped. Rosie was released the next afternoon and Rachel on Feb. 8. They were charged with criminal damage set at a cost of 25,000 pounds and were banned from Barrow. 

           During their trial in Manchester Crown Court, Justice Humphries ruled the defenses available within the Criminal Damage Act of necessity/duress and acting to protect property or life, could be left for the jury to decide on. The third legal defense offered—that of preventing a greater crime (in this instance the crime of genocide and the transgressions of various international laws of war)- could not be submitted to the jury. On September 20, the jury found Rosie and Rachel not guilty of one charge, and on the second charge the jury could not reach a verdict.