VETERAN anti-nuclear campaigner Brian Quail has been foiled in his latest attempt to bring the military industrial complex to its knees, after Police Scotland prevented the campaigning grandpa from disrupting a Faslane-bound convoy.
The septuagenarian superstar of the CND had tried to replicate his effective protest tactic of September last year, when he and 21-year-old Alasdair Ibbotson used a pedestrian crossing to simply walk out in front of trucks thought to carrying nuclear warheads, and lay down on the road.
For that Quail was found guilty of breach of the peace at Stirling Sheriff Court just two weeks ago. Despite a £200 fine and the threat of jail time, Quail was back protesting on Monday as a convoy passed through the village of Gartocharn in Dunbartonshire.
According to the CND, an officer from Police Scotland was ready and waiting. As Quail went to push the button on the pelican crossing, the officer physically preventing him from summoning the green man. “Things go a wee bit heated,” Quail said. He claimed he was pushed backwards into a garden wall and hedge.
Police Scotland say they spoke to two men but are taking no further action.
The convoy arrived in Coulport an hour later.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here