Hundreds rally as year of Faslane protest ends

After endless days of rain and many a night in the Clydebank police station cells, the anti-nuclear protesters at the Faslane naval base staged their last blockade yesterday, bolstered by 500 supporters.

Protesters glued themselves to the Tarmac outside the base and chained themselves together and to the base's fence in a demonstration which ensured that the last day of the "Faslane 365", a protest against the hosting of the Trident fleet in Scotland, hammered home their message, despite about 171 arrests.

"It was never more important than it is now when the Trident upgrade is on the table," said Rosie Kane, the former Scottish Socialist politician.

Coachloads of people started arriving shortly before 7am and blocked the entrance to the main gate by lying on the ground with their arms linked by tubes. Police used special cutting equipment to prise them apart, before carrying them away. The police had made 94 arrests by 10am, but as they focused on one entrance, protesters were arriving at others. The demonstrators also blocked the A814 road to Garelochhead, by lying on it.

The protest has been co-ordinated from Faslane peace camp, which has been a permanent fixture on the main road near the base for nearly 25 years. Supporters have included the writer A L Kennedy, the poet Adrian Mitchell and the folksinger Roy Bailey.

There have been few more cherished protesters than Alice Beer, 94, the potter and poet, who flew from the East Midlands to Glasgow, caught a train to the nearest station and was pushed the last mile in a wheelchair by her daughter. She was part of a sub-group called Goats: Golden Oldies Against Trident.

For all that, there has been great opposition to the protesters' presence. The local newspaper, the Helensburgh Advertiser, expressed concern when it was revealed that policing costs might reach £20m and an anti-protest protest group, Peninsula 24/7, has been set up by local residents.

The cost of policing the protest has exceeded £5m, according to a Strathclyde Police report. Protesters have travelled from Japan, France, Germany and Belgium and as many as 150 officers have been deployed at a time to cope.

A spokesman for Faslane naval base said yesterday's protests had not had an effect on operations. He said: "They have not really affected us at all. I think it's unfortunate that the protests have had an impact on the local community."

But with plans afoot for an expansion of Faslane to incorporate two new aircraft carriers costing £3.8bn, despite the opposition of the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond, protesters have vowed to keep up pressure.

The Scottish Green Party co-leader, Robin Harper, who joined the protest, said: "The use, the threat of use, and the planned replacement of Trident are all illegal. We should take a lead in fighting the wars of this century – the war against poverty, injustice and environmental destruction – not spend £25bn on weapons of mass destruction aimed at civilians."

As clowns and singers created a carnival spirit at the end of the protest, Mr Salmond issued a statement saying he shared Faslane 365's "objective of removing nuclear weapons from Scotland's soil". In keeping with his Scottish National Party's manifesto, there will be a summit later this month to discuss how to remove nuclear weapons from Scotland.