Time to start blocking the builders

At a meeting on 22 January, 27 people from the Block the Builders network decided it was time to call for action against the new developments at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston if plans to start building go ahead in mid-February. This depends on the outcome of the planning applications which will be decided on 23 February.

If work has started, the first demonstration will take place on Monday 28 February, otherwise on date to be announced. We will send out an alert. Plans are afoot to book a nearby space so that we can meet up on the Sunday afternoon, and discuss the plans for the following morning, plus - if there is time - eat together, include a little more training. The subject of the demonstration will be that work had started on an office building which is designed to house 150 staff and contractors to work on the new developments, or on new specialist buildings to computer servers.

Although this is not the Orion laser, it is the signal that work on Orion is likely to start soon. There is a possibility that the office building , and two IT buildings(which we think may be something to do with the super computer) may be delayed by challenges in the planning process, or general slackness on the part of AWE. We will keep you informed.

This is the start of a build-up to the envisaged mass action, and we hope that as many of you as possible will come to join in the protest. This could be an arrestable action, we will be contacting pledgers who volunteered for legal support, car driving etc, and hope you will be there to support anyone who is arrested. So get ready for blocking on the last Monday of February. If work is delayed, then action will take place at a later date. This is the first protest, more will follow, and for those who are unable to come we are now also planning a demonstration at AWE Aldermaston on Easter Monday (28 March).