NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Rubis Class nuclear submarine - click for larger image

Merde! We are being visited by the French nuclear attack submarine FNS Perle.

On Friday 16th March citizens of Perth and Rockinham took to the water to conduct an unprecedented inspection of the Sterling Naval Base. The captain of the Perle had earlier chosen to abort his trip into port rather than face the people whose health his vessel puts at risk. This was a significant victory for us: Cockburn Sound remained nuclear free for another day. Now we need to do it again...

Please stand up and be counted at the rally on the 24th...

The Guillotining
On March 5 a hundred or so citizens gathered to 'Guillotine the Submarine' at the Stirling Naval Base, shortly before the docking of the sub on the morning of March 6. Just before our bright yellow submarine was chopped in half by a gorgeously attired Marie Antoinette, FANG's Laurel Ellis spoke the following:

"In the 1780s, the people of France were starving while the aristocracy continued to live in luxury. When the Queen was told that the peasants had no bread, she responded, "Let them eat cake".

This statement has come to epitomize the ignorance of the ruling class of the time. And soon after, many of their heads rolled, quite literally, as a result. Some of our own politicians have exhibited a similar failure to understand the needs and wishes of their constituents. With a similar result recently, except that their heads have not rolled physically this time.

And today we are issuing a warning, to the politicians of this country, that their heads will roll, too, if they keep leading us into a nuclear based future - the consequences of which we are not prepared to risk. As a symbol of our sincere and passionate aborrhence of nuclear navies, in particular, we will now GUILLOTINE the SUBMARINE."

The action attracted a lively crowd despite the sweltering heat, and featured very well in the media. The question now, with Perle due to enter Cockburn Sound not once but three times in the next few weeks, is what will be the response of the people of Perth and Rockingham?

Diplomatic clearance has been sought and approved for the Perle to visit HMAS Stirling, south of Perth, on three occasions: 7-12 March, 16 March and 23-26 March. The submarine will be accompanied by a conventionally powered destroyer. Between its visits to HMAS Stirling, the Perle will be involved in joint exercises with the Australian Navy.

Some Context...

For 25 years, Australian citizens have been protesting against the visits of
nuclear navies. Neither of the major parties have heeded our calls for these dangerous manoeveres to be cancelled. A nuclear accident in a West Australian port would be catastrophic.

FNS Perle belongs to a group of Rubis Amethyste class nuclear powered attack submarines, “one of which has recently been withdrawn from service after the discovery of more radioactivity than expected in the main circuit of the vessel’s nuclear reactor” (Laurie Brereton press release, 24/11/00).
These are anti-shipping submarines equipped with Exocet missiles, 14 x 21” torpedoes, or with 32 mines. Perle was commissioned in 1993, and has 66 crew.
On 30March, 1994 FNS Emeraude had an accident with a burst steam pipe resulting in 10 deaths. FNS Rubis, commissioned in 1983, collided with a tanker on 17 July, 1993.

Things French and nuclear are not a good mix in Australia. Politicians of all colours fell over themselves to be anti-nuclear during the last round of French nuclear tests in 1995. The French navy has routinely engaged in terrorist activities against peace vessels protesting their n-testing in the Pacific, and their secret service killed an activist when they bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour in 1985.

Nuclear submarines have had an extremely bad year - the sinking of the Russian Kursk, the U.K.’s Tireless stranded at Gibraltar, and now the USS Greenbill killing nine people in the Pacific, having cut their ship in half.

We can do without these vessels in Western Australia.