The Interfaith Peace Walk “Towards a Nuclear Free Future†entered England yesterday (June 17th) crossing the border from Scotland after spending the night in Gretna. Since leaving Dublin, Ireland on May 13th they have covered over 370 miles on foot spreading their message of a nuclear free future.
Their walk has taken them along the east coast of Ireland where they heard about the devastating effects of Sellafield. In Scotland they walked to the Faslane Trident base where some of the group was arrested while upholding International Law.
The Peace Walk was allowed access to the Tank road at the Dundrennan, MOD test firing range which is know to have tested Depleted Uranium weapons. The walkers were joined by locals who are concerned about the amount of D.U that has been fired there and polluting the area where they live.
The International group of walkers passed by Chapelcross on its way to Gretna on the weekend and is now in Carlisle preparing for the next leg of their walk, which will take them to Sellafield; home of the most polluting nuclear facility in the UK and responsible for making the Irish sea one of the most radioactive sea’s in the world. The walk will be holding a vigil at the main gates of Sellafield at 3pm Friday June 22nd.
Marcus Atkinson from Australia and International Events Coordinator for “Footprints for Peace†commented “Nuclear power is not the solution to climate change. When you take the whole industry into consideration it is an extremely polluting industry creating cancers and sickness through out the world due to the radioactive substances it releases. It is also contributing to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and leaving a deadly toxic legacy for future generations spanning thousands of years.â€