Havoc at Sellafield

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday February 14, 2002 19:11 by amanda

100 or so people, 11 arrests, all released without charge. Trains delayed until 12.30pm. 6 mile tailback.

Sellafield, Cumbria, 14thfeb02
6am. We arrived and began to block off 2 main roads leading up to sellafield nuclear power plant. Police were much rougher today than yesterday in Faslane. A snake shaped lock on with 6 people blocked access at a roundabout. Police kicked and shoved people, then tried to pull apart the lock on, despite knowing about chains, padlocks inside the lock on pipes, and everyone screaming for them to stop. They started to use a hacksaw to cut through one pipe, then a protestor put his foot in the way and was arrested. Lots of people hit by police. All 6 in snake lock on arrested, the last at around 10.30am, at this stage a 6-mile tailback prevented workers from entering the site. One guy pulled down a welcome to sellafield sign, and was arrested. Then four people including me made a body lock on (ie no chains) on the road, i passively resisted, went limp, was carried across road, dropped three times then eventually just dumped on the side of the road while the other 3 were arrested. Later in the police station we were told that the Sellafield Police Task Force were on a day off, despite being told about today's protest in December, and despite ringing us 4 times in the last week asking us about today's protest, and despite us telling them that we would be here today.
Several trains were delayed from entering sellafield until 12.30pm, as the signalmen from sellafield area were delayed getting to work because of protests.
Later a security person from BNFL warned us "for your own safety, you should leave the area straight away, otherwise the locals will get hold of you". We have in fact been meeting with some local people, and have been very amiable with them.
All 11 arrestees were released by 6pm with no charge.