Block the Dock!! 2004 Briefing Pack

Trident Ploughshares Devonport Disarmament Camp

Devonport - Plymouth: Thursday 27th May - Tuesday 1st June

AFTER reading this briefing PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE COMING and
WHAT TYPE OF ACCOMODATION YOU NEED
Tel: 0845 458 8363, or email sandrabarbican@yahoo.co.uk or devonport@tridentploughshares.org

Welcome to the 'Block the Dock 2003' Briefing!

CONTENTS

A BRIEF HISTORY

Devonport Dockyard, which plays host to the refitting of the Trident nuclear submarines, is situated in the City of Plymouth on the banks of the River Tamar. The rivers, sea and surrounding countryside of Plymouth complete a beautiful environment. However, this environment is now seriously polluted in a literal sense by all the waste connected with nuclear technology, as well as in a moral and political sense.

Plymouth has been a centre for naval activity from before the Tudor period but it was not until the late 17th century that the first dedicated docks and workshops were built at Devonport. Expansion continued through the 18th and 19th centuries along with the introduction of the latest technologies. A Naval Hospital and Barracks and Victualling stores were added and the final extension was to South Yard in the 1950s. Since then the workforce has declined from a peak of 40,000 to some 4,000 persons today.

Government investment in Devonport has continued with the construction of the Submarine Refit Complex in 5Basin in the 1980s for nuclear powered (but conventionally armed) vessels. Conversion of 9Dock, originally built for Dreadnought battleships, to take the Vanguard class submarines began in the late 1990s. Neighbouring 10Dock is also capable of berthing one of Vanguard's sister ships in an emergency. HMS Vanguard arrived at Devonport on 3rd February 2002 for a two year refit and refuelling. Most operations within Devonport are now run by a privatised company - DML. A chain of ownership can be traced from DML to the Texan multi-national Halliburton, whose chief executive used to be Dick Cheney.

Despite a shrinking workforce and reduction in area at Devonport Dockyard there is still a belief in Plymouth that it is a naval town and the Dockyard is vital for economic survival. Politically the Trident submarine refits have placed Plymouth in an economic trap since Devonport Dockyard would prosper much better without Trident. Indeed, one of the reasons Devonport was chosen rather than other dockyards such as Rosyth is because it was believed that there is little opposition here. The fact is that most opposition to it is stifled and ridiculed by the interested parties who have deluded themselves and others that the Trident contract is good for the economy.

In reality Plymouth is Britain's most nuclear city, housing both redundant nuclear submarines and the current T and V classes. There are plans to store up to 27 reactors on land within the dockyard and the government are planning the new "Astute" class of nuclear subs.

WHEN AND WHERE

Thursday 27th May --- Arrive, set up camp.
Friday 28th May--- Familiarisation with site, tours, non-violence workshops.
Saturday 29th May ---
- Leafletting, stalls, street theatre in Plymouth City Centre, around the Sundial Armada way
- River Demo - Meet early 10am - Weard Quay Saltash
Sunday 30th May --- Multi faith service at the Drake Gate at 2.30-3pm.
Monday 1st June --- BLOCK the DOCK! from 6.30 am. Main focus will be Camel's Head Gate, the gate where most of the traffic enters.

There will be plenty of affinity group based actions and lots of fun, come along and join one of the ad hoc affinity groups which will form to accommodate all tastes, ages and abilities. Peace campaigners and activists from Belgium, Finland, France and the Netherlands have joined us previously and we are hoping to have many international visitors this year too!

Registration:

Please register at one of the information points when you arrive. For the outdoor camp this is the caravan. If we have an indoor camp, there will be a desk inside the door. This is for your safety and it also helps us to get in touch with people after the camp if we need to. You also need to sign up for a short non-violence workshop if you haven’t done one with Trident Ploughshares previously and people who spend a night or more at the camp are asked to sign a simple non-violence pledge which also commits you not to use alcohol or drugs. Please note you can register for part or all of the camp.

Accommodation:

The accommodation options are detailed below. For all of the options you’ll probably need a sleeping bag and a sleeping mat. Please let us know which option you will go for, when you are arriving and how long you are staying.

Camping outdoors at the outdoor camp. We have not been given permission by the council to camp anywhere in Plymouth so the location of the camp cannot be divulged until it has been set up (on Thursday 27th ). If you have a problem finding the camp call 0845 458 8363. Someone will be answering that number throughout the camp. If you get no answer it is because they are on another call (we expect it to be busy!). Leave a message and we’ll call back straight away. If you do choose the outdoor camping option you will need to bring your own tent and sleeping stuff.

Accomodation in homes in Plymouth. Some folk can offer beds, some can offer floor space. You’ll still need a sleeping bag and mat. Let us know if you absolutely need a bed or if a space on a floor or sofa is OK so we can figure out where to put whom.

We are still looking out for a hall so if one turns up we may put folk there as well, but the indoor camp and outdoor camp will be the Camp central spaces.

Food:

There will be communal food provided, in a communal kitchen, where main meals will be cooked (vegan). At other times feel free to make hot drinks. The cooks always need plenty of offers of assistance with chopping veg etc. Please put donations in the collecting bucket. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements, eg. Gluten allergy, nut allergy. Breakfast, help yourself. Lunch 1ish, Dinner 6ish Camp organisation/ meetings

Safety:

Plymouth is a big city, with a big city’s fair share of urban problem. Please bear this in mind when you are moving about Plymouth. This isn’t like Faslane or Aldermaston where you are in the back of beyond so look after yourself. People camping outdoors should bear in mind this is effectively “sleeping rough” in a big city, but the site is not close to houses. Even so, please be extra aware of your personal safety. The inside and perimeter of Devonport base is normally policed by Ministry of Defence Police (MDP). They are armed with pistols and machine guns and some patrol with police dogs. MOD police have not used their guns on peaceful protestors to date. The roads outside the base and the blockade on the Monday will be policed by the local Devon and Cornwall constabulary. TP is in liaison with both police forces regarding the camp and blockade. “Watersports” The water currents in the Tamar River around the dockyard are very strong and there are dangerous undertows, much stronger than in the bodies of water around Faslane and Coulport, so
DO NOT SWIM IN OPEN WATER around the dockyard.
Contact Peter Bouquet on 01822 832549 / 07800793964 or email if you are interested in “watersports”.

Children:

There are no special arrangements for looking after children, so if you are arriving with children please look after them constantly yourself or arrange for someone else to.

Dogs.

Please leave your dogs at home. If there are very special circumstances which make it very difficult to do so please be in touch before the camp to discuss it.

Communications:

We will have a communications centre which will handle the media enquiries and legal support work. This will be at a house in Plymouth. From there we can help you write up and send out faxes and emails of news stories to your local area or country.

Workshops

As well as the non-violence workshops mentioned above we will be planning numerous other workshops throughout the camp. If you are thinking of risking arrest it is very important you attend a legal briefing, so you know about the arrest procedure, etc. See details of workshops at the end, and look out for workshop details when you arrive. All workshops start at indoor camp Disarmament tools We will have some disarmament tools at the camp, but if you can bring your own bolt cutters, hammers, locks and chains etc. so much the better.

Possible Workshop schedule NB Some workshops overlap, this is so the whole day isn’t taken up with workshops. Please ask if you can’t make all the workshops you want to get to and we may be able to arrange extra ones. All workshops will start at the indoor camp.

Friday 28th 11am-1pm base tour and briefing with Matt and Margaret 2.30 - 5.00 p.m.Non-violence training 2.00 - 3.30 p.m. legal briefing with Ivor Birnie
Saturday 29th 11.00 am - 1.00 p.m. base tour and briefing with Matt and Margaret 2.00 - 3.00 p.m. N-Sub Forum briefing 3.00 - 5.30 p.m. Non-violence 3.00 - 4.30 p.m. Legal briefing
Sunday 30th After supper (supper will be 5.30/6.00 ish): Blockade briefing, site briefing and legal briefing, non-violence training for folk who haven’t done it yet.

To be arranged. Fence climbing workshop Any offers?

If you are not already in an affinity group, we will try and put you in one. Often folk form ad hoc affinity groups for a camp, based on who they get on with best. Decision making for the camp will usually be at meetings attended by two members of each affinity group. If you aren’t in an affinity group please let us know.

NON-VIOLENCE GUIDELINES

We are committed to always acting in a way that causes no harm to ourselves or others. We ask that everyone taking part in this action respect and follow these guidelines:

Our attitude will be one of sincerity and respect towards the people we encounter
We will not engage in physical violence or verbal abuse toward any individual
We will carry no weapons
We will not bring or use alcohol or drugs other than for medical purposes
We will clear the blockade to allow emergency vehicles in or out of the dockyard and then resume the blockade afterwards NON-VIOLENT ACTION We would encourage people who are willing to risk arrest, and have done a non-violence workshop (one of ours or some time before) to take non-violent direct action (NVDA). This is an effective way of disrupting the work of the dockyard. If you are doing NVDA, your overriding considerations MUST be: Follow the nonviolence guidelines and any guidelines agreed by the group. Be aware of your safety and that of everyone who could be affected by your actions. Some suggestions and notes... Blocking the entrance: The demonstration on Monday will be at the Camel’s Head Gate of the dock. You could block this by sitting/lying on the road into the dock, or locking yourself to other people and/or immovable objects. This is the least committing form of action; at any time you can get off the road and onto the verge and are unlikely be at risk of arrest. It there are a lot of people at the action, it might be a good idea for everyone to start off by lying in the road, and move only if asked. Be aware that the main road leading in to the dock road is very busy. It is NOT a good idea to try to block that. Cutting the fence: This could be done along some of the dock perimeter to get in, or as an action in its own right. This is very definitely an arrestable action! Some of the dockyard is surrounded by a chainlink fence topped with overhanging barbed wire (the rest is mostly stone wall, some of which is topped with wire). Some inner areas are enclosed in further fences topped with razorwire. Chainlink is fairly easy to cut - you don’t need super-expensive bolt croppers. If you are doing this to get in, cut vertically on the same strand of wire, then at the top of your hole cut 4 to 6 strands horizontally, then put at the sides of the hole to make it bigger. It may also be possible to cut at the top and bottom of a vertical strand and “untwizzle” it. Climbing the fence: This is probably the most efficient way to get into the dockyard, as chainlink is relatively easy to climb. The key is practice -learn to climb fences at home! The easiest way to climb is at a gate - these are much sturdier, especially at the hinge or in the middle, and have convenient bits to use as footholds and handholds. The fence is supported by concrete posts - these are the best place to climb, as you can use the post to get over the barbed wire. Be careful. Climbing the stone walls not been done here so far….. In PeaceNews, issue 2435 (May-August 1999), there is an excellent article: Fences: the definitive illustrated guide. Read this if you possibly can. Going into the dockyard: This seems the most effective direct action to take, but is the most committing and has the greatest potential danger. It is an obvious point with all those nuclear reactors in there, but there are dangerous things in the dock! Don’t touch or go near anything if you don’t know what it is. Likewise certain places might not be good places to hang around. The dockyard is patrolled by Ministry of Defense Police (MDP) who may be armed and/or have dogs. The MDP operate in a similar manner to “normal” police. If you are seen/apprehended by them, you should do the following things: 1. Do not run away. 2. If you are holding anything that could conceivably be thought of as a weapon, put it down. 3. Keep you hands where they can be seen. Don’t do anything that might look threatening. 4. Be calm. Say that you are a peaceful protester and that you will not do any harm If you intend to go in to the dockyard it is very very strongly recommended that you get to the action by Friday if you can. This will give you a chance to talk to us about what a sensible plan would be, connect up with like-minded people/groups and get any other information that we may have by that time. Not forgetting doing a nonviolence workshop if you have not done one before.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE BLOCKADE

The police may not attempt to clear the road immediately so please come prepared for the whole day on Monday:

Warm and waterproof clothes

Something to sit on (a cushion in a sealed plastic bag or an old carry-mat)

Food for you and to share

Thermos flask with a hot drink or soup

Any medication you are taking in a clearly labelled bottle or box

Musical instruments and fancy dress costumes

Banners

A bust card with legal support phone numbers

The spirit of hope and resistance!

What NOT to bring to the blockade:

Alcohol or illegal drugs

Anything that might be mistaken as an offensive weapon, especially penknives

Anything you don’t want the police to see such as address books, etc.

A negative attitude...

LOCAL INFORMATION

Plymouth has all the services you would expect to find in a large modern city with the added bonus of coastal access and some fine scenery within reach - Dartmoor, Cornwall, the South Hams etc.

Hospitals Derriford Hospital, Derriford Road, tel.777111 24 hour A+E Cumberland Centre, Damerel Close, Devonport, tel.567999 Minor injuries unit and emergency dental care. Open 0900 - 1730 Royal Eye Infirmary, Apsley Road, Mutley, tel.315123 for eye injuries,
24 hour Transport Trains - Plymouth Station, Saltash Road Regular services to Cornwall and "up country" - fastest time to London is 3 1/2 hours. Buses Buses to most places leave from Royal Parade. Two separate bus companies operate in Plymouth - CityBus and First, tickets are not interchangeable. First day tickets are £2.50 before 0845, £2.00 thereafter CityBus day tickets are £3.60 before 0900, £2.60 after that. These are available from the driver. Taxis Numerous taxi firms operate in Plymouth. Some 24 hour firms. 01752 242424 (Silverline) 01752 252525(Telecabs) 0800 175175 (Tower) Torpoint Ferry/Tamar Bridge Tolls are paid travelling west-east only, £1 per journey but books of 20 tickets cost £10 and may be used for either service. Torpoint ferry operates a 24 hour service, every 10-15 minutes during the day, half-hourly between 2145 and 0645.
Shopping and places to get props Plymouth city centre - bus to Royal Parade - has most major retail chains. Independent (interesting) shops are around Eastlake Walk and Ebrington Street and towards the western end around the Pannier Market and Frankfort Gate Army Surplus Goulds Surplus Stores, 57,Ebrington St. Clothing, footwear, camping equipment Knights Surplus Stores, 253,James Street, Mutton Cove, Devonport Heavy duty army surplus - shackles, chains, cables etc - worth a look! Car Boot Sales Stonehouse Community Centre, junction of Kings Rd./ Stonehouse Bridge every Thurs, Sat, Sun morning. Central Park, next to Plymouth Argyle F.C. Sunday mornings Peacock Meadow, Newnham Rd., Plympton Sunday mornings Radio stations in Plymouth BBC Radio Devon 103.3FM Plymouth Sound 97.0FM Pirate FM 102.0FM Swimming Pools Reduced prices for showering only are not available Plymouth Pavilions, The Crescent/Union St. £1.75 1130 - 1530 Seaton Pool, Derriford (near hospital) £2.40 Showers are available at the toilets in Armada Way in the city centre. Viewpoints There are a number of places where good views over the dockyard may be had: Recreation Ground (The Blockhouse) Masterman Rd., Stoke - looks west, good views over the rest of the city also. Warren Street/Keyham Rd. - overlooks section of wall. Playground at Gray Crescent, Barne Barton - view southwards over 9Dock Junction of Poole Park Rd. and Savage Rd., Barne Barton - looks south Tall buildings in the vicinty of the Dockyard are also worth entering. Restaurants If you tire of the fare available at the camp there are the usual range of restaurants across Plymouth.
- Two vegetarian/vegan establishments are:
  - Veggie Perrins -Indian - 97, Mayflower St, tel. 252888
  - Plymouth Arts Centre Cafe - 38, Looe St. tel. 202616

Arial photo of camp-site, Camel's Head Dockyard entrance and Nothern submarine basin (200Kb)
Location Map of Camp | Pictures of the Camp(ers)