Mass rally says No to Trident
Quakers from all round Britain were among thousands protesting at the weekend against the renewal of Trident. They urged MPs to seek the moral courage to get rid of Trident.
Quakers have long opposed nuclear weapons and its representative body in 1955 said: “To rely on the possession of nuclear weapons as a deterrent is faithless: to use them is a sin".
At the national demonstration in London, faith representatives marched together in the 'No Faith in Trident' bloc. Paul Parker, Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain, addressed the thousands in Trafalgar Square, reading an interfaith statement, Now is the Time.
[QUOTE-START]
To rely on the possession of nuclear weapons as a deterrent is faithless: to use them is a sin
- Meeting for Sufferings
[QUOTE-END]
Parliament is expected to debate Trident in the next few months, although the date is not fixed. Those marching this weekend want Trident high on the political agenda as campaigns start for both the elections on 5 May and the referendum on EU membership, as well as party political conferences.
Paul Parker, Recording Clerk for Quakers in Britain, says: “Quakers are committed to working for peace and say that Trident is a faithless weapon. It threatens all life on earth, as we know it. We want to get rid of nuclear weapons completely, but we also welcome all steps towards nuclear disarmament. These are weapons of mass destruction which can never be used and have proved to be a poor deterrent against acts of terror."
Quakers and thousands of others were in London to say "No" to government plans to buy a new system at a cost of over £100 billion.