Fresh from a speaking tour that included a warm welcome in Wales, US peace activist Bruce Gagnon was extended the full hospitality of the British state at Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland. Joining the year-round blockade for a day, he was arrested.
Bruce is Coordinator of the Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. His speaking tour highlighted the hypocrisy of the US as it lectures the rest of the world about the evils of WMD while at the same time building new nukes and moving the arms race into space. “It's clear to me,” Gagnon says, “that the US and Britain should be held to the same standard they are claiming that Iran should be held to. If Iran should not have nuclear weapons, then why should the US and Britain be jointly building new generations of nuclear warheads?”
As we all surely know by now, there will be a Big Blockade at Faslane on 1 October, the culmination of Faslane 365. Bruce Gagnon won't be able to be there this time, he's safely back home in Maine; but he'd encourage everyone to take part and will certainly be with us in spirit.
We in Wales look forward to his next visit - a speaking tour on the decline of Star Wars and the fall of the US Empire!