About the Week

The Strident Camp and Summer Blockade aims to offer space for creative and open dialogue, enabling a united stand against what some commentators have called a nuclear renaissance. Bringing people together from across the political spectrum for open and honest debate about how to achieve a future free from the threat of nuclear annihilation, the week will be packed with speakers, discussion forums, training and workshops. We believe a mass movement from across society is needed to demonstrate that nuclear weapons are too dangerous for the power players of geo-politics. Though uncertain, the future is shaped by the present, and we must start moving now!

Peaton Wood is a ten minute drive from the Faslane nuclear base, just north of Glasgow, and a five minute walk from the Coulport depo where the warheads are actually stored. 40 acres of woodland means plenty of space for all, so bring your friends your enemies your uncles and Aunty Doreen's cat Humbug.

Seeing as we're so close to Faslane, participants will of course be fully supported if they wish to take part in Faslane 365. The week will be organised into a blockade rota, so start signing up! Some slots will be fixed around a certain theme, for example a Beach of the Peace party, or Preach of the Beasts, or Breeches of the Peaches... some more serious than others. This is to allow people to feel they can unite around their opposition to Trident but still protest in a way personal to them; some like noise some like silence, some like movement some like stillness. There will still be lots of space for improvisation and spontaneity within the rota, as well as pre-arranged affinity slots.

If you want to blockade start finding people in your area to form an affinity group with now, by going to the Regional Reps page. The more planning you do before you arrive the better your chances of a really successful blockade. Faslane365students can provide help with mobilizing, and the fantastic Faslane 365 Steering Committee can assist with non-violent direct action training, training for legal supporters and advice about the arrest experience.

If you don't know whether you want to blockade or simply protest legally and provide support for others, don't worry! There will be NVDA training available at the camp, and the possibility of joining an existing affinity group or forming a brand-spanking-new one.

In addition to the camp and blockade, we are keen to organise some music, dance, theatre, jigs or jugglery workshops for the young people and any others interested in the local community. The people of Helensborough and Garelochhead have lived next to nuclear weapons for decades, and for some the intrusion of hundreds of protesters into their midst is unwelcome. Others fully support what we are doing and just put up with the attendant traffic jams, but either way there is an impact on the local community and we would like to provide some summer evening entertainment as a way of saying a BIG thank you. Get in touch with the Events working group if you are interested.

What next? See the Get Involved section for more info on how you can participate in the summer, and how to have input on what the camp and blockade feel taste smell and look like!