Rochdale Campaigners, old and new, say 'STOP TRIDENT'

'STOP TRIDENT' was the very clear message from the Rochdale campaigners who traveled by coach to London on Saturday (27 February 2016) to join the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's march and rally opposing plans to renew the Trident nuclear weapons system. Rochdale's campaigners set off at 7am to ensure that they were in Trafalgar Square to hear Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and many others reject nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Long-time members and supporters of Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group were joined by many new and younger local campaigners.

Nichola Shellard and her daughter Abigail Raby from Norden were taking part in their first demonstration.

Nichola Shellard said:
"This was a great day for us. Anyone who stops to think about it knows that Trident is a useless and dangerous waste of money and that nuclear weapons are an evil we need to get rid of, but too often we sit at home thinking there is nothing we can do about such things. Not today. The enormous turn-out proved that there are tens of thousands of ordinary people who are willing to get up early on a cold February morning to demonstrate against Britain having nuclear weapons of mass destruction which threaten all our futures with unimaginable levels of death and destruction. It also showed that we now have political leaders, like Jeremy Corbyn, who are genuinely committed to a peaceful and nuclear-free future. We need to support them wholeheartedly and to campaign actively for a future in which our country's resources are spent on what we need not on a useless and evil nuclear weapon's system. Today's march and rally was a really positive experience for us. We are more determined than ever to campaign to stop Trident."

Green Party leader, Natalie Bennett joined local speakers at St Chad's Church, Rochdale on Tuesday (9 February 2016) to call for an end to the Trident nuclear weapons system. She told the STOP TRIDENT public meeting called by Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group, Rochdale Green Party and Momentum Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton that nuclear weapons of mass destruction cannot provide our country with genuine peace or security.

The well-attended meeting also heard a message from Jan Harper of PaxChristi and speeches from local campaigners, Michael Kelly of Momentum,  Rae Street representing Labour CND and Philip Gilligan who is chair of Greater Manchester and District CND. The meeting was chaired by the Revd. Mark Coleman, Vicar of Rochdale.

Pat Sanchez on behalf of Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group said:

“We were delighted by the big turn-out tonight and hope that many of those attending this meeting in Rochdale will also be joining us and thousands of others at the national STOP TRIDENT demonstration on Saturday 27 February 2016. Anyone wanting tickets for the coach from Rochdale should contact Philip Gilligan at gilliganphilip@gmail.com as soon as possible."

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Peace Group Promotes Public Meeting

Local campaigners had a rather damp time in Yorkshire Street on Saturday morning (6 February 2016), but remained keen to encourage people to attend the STOP TRIDENT public meeting to be held at 7.30pm on Tuesday 9 February 2016. The meeting has been called by Rochdale and Littleborough Peace Group, Rochdale Green Party and Momentum Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton and will be addressed by Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party. The meeting will be chaired by Revd. Mark Coleman, Vicar of Rochdale.

Philip Gilligan from the Peace Group said:

“Trident weapons of mass destruction are increasingly in the news and we are keen to let people know why we want them scrapped. Parliament is likely to vote on the issue of so-called ‘Trident renewal’ within the next few months. The Labour Party is reviewing its position. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) supported by a wide range of other organisations, including Greenpeace, Pax Christi and the Moslem Association of Britain has called a national demonstration on Saturday 27 February 2016. And the chair of the Commons Defence Committee, Conservative MP Crispin Blunt, has estimated that the total cost of the proposed renewed Trident system would be as much as £167billlion. Many of us are already convinced that the existing Trident system needs to be scrapped and that plans for its so-called ‘renewal’ must be stopped. We are keen to explain our views to others and hope that many people will join us and Natalie at 7.30pm at St Chad’s on 9 February 2016.”