HMS VENGEANCE DISARMAMENT ACTION

On November 23, 1999, Sylvia Boyes and River, British activists involved with the Trident Ploughshares 2000 campaign, swam with hand tools with the intent to disarm the HMS Vengeance Trident submarine at the Barrow shipyard in England. They were apprehended by security before being able to reach the Trident and charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage. Following their arrest they were released pending trial. During their six day jury trial in mid‑January 2001, held at the Manchester Crown Court, the two argued that the intent of their action was to rid Britain of the illegal nuclear threat posed by Trident submarines. Expert witnesses testified about how direct action against nuclear weapons policy can be effective (i.e. bringing about the withdrawal of US cruise missiles from England), and that Trident is not simply a defensive weapon, but has been deployed as a threat in recent conflicts. On January 18, the jury returned a majority verdict of not guilty.