No arrests as 1,400 hold peaceful anti-Trident protest
More than 1,400 protesters swamped Faslane naval base at the weekend calling for Trident to be scrapped.
Members of the Scottish Scrap Trident coalition organised the demonstration – thought to be the biggest at the base in a decade.
The coalition said the demo had support from all over Scotland, as well as backing from the Scottish Government.
Located on the Clyde, the base is home to the submarine fleet carrying the controversial nuclear missiles.
The peaceful protest, which saw no arrests, had a carnival atmosphere as hundreds of demonstrators marched down the hill to the north entrance of the base.
A spokeswoman for the campaign group said: "It is obvious that the main parties at Westminster are hoping that the final formal decision to renew the Trident nuclear weapon system will slip past unnoticed, pushed on by the momentum of the vast sums that have already been spent on the project and the Mutual Defence Agreement with the US.
The people of Scotland should be given every opportunity to register their rejection of nuclear weapons
"It now looks more than likely that they will not be able to do so, given that the Trident question may well play a key role in the event of a hung parliament.
"This means that the people of Scotland should be given every opportunity to register their rejection of nuclear weapons.
"Debate around the recent independence referendum has made it clear that awareness of and opposition to Britain's weapons of mass destruction has increased significantly.
"In Scotland in the last two years we have been reflecting on the values we want to characterise our communities and our society.
"Trident is an absolute affront to our shared vision for sane and peaceful co-operation across the globe."
First minister Nicola Sturgeon was not at the demonstration but has backed the Scrap Trident campaign, calling for the UK government to cancel plans to renew nuclear weapons.
She said: "My opposition to the possession of nuclear weapons and to the basing of Trident in Scotland is absolute and I offer my full support to the Scrap Trident Coalition.
"It is my goal, and the policy of the Scottish Government, to secure the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Scotland and to support the pursuit of global nuclear disarmament.
"The Scottish Parliament voted to reaffirm its support for these goals on August 6, 2014.
"I agree strongly with the message of this demonstration and I offer the Scottish Government's support for a peaceful and lawful demonstration.
"Through such efforts, the public and civic society can demonstrate to the UK Government the democratic opposition that exists to the continued possession and threat of nuclear weapons."
