MSP cleared of nuclear base protest

Tommy Sheridan vowed to protest again

The Scottish Socialist Party leader has been cleared of causing a breach of the peace during an anti-nuclear protest at Faslane naval base.

Tommy Sheridan, 38, had pleaded not guilty to the offence relating to a protest at the base, home of Britain's Trident nuclear submarines, last October.

Justice of the Peace, John MacPhail, said there was not a "sufficiency of evidence" and ruled there was no case to answer.

Mr Sheridan, list MSP for Glasgow, had argued that under the European Convention of Human Rights people were entitled to peaceful protest.

Tommy Sheridan: "A legal right"

At Helensburgh District Court on Tuesday, Mr Sheridan said it was time for police to stop carrying out mass arrests at peaceful protests.

He had been one of 170 people arrested on 22 October last year when the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Trident Ploughshares attempted to bring the base to a standstill.

After the case against him was dismissed the MSP said it had "struck a blow" for peaceful protests.

"What's vital now is the establishment of the right to peaceful protest as is clear in article 11 of the European Court of Human Rights, which has been incorporated into Scottish law," he said.

'Mass destruction'

"Those who regularly attend Faslane naval base to express their opposition to nuclear weapons quite simply have the legal right to do so."

Mr Sheridan said anyone serving a prison sentence for a breach of the peace at a peaceful protest should be released in light of his case.

"This is the second not guilty verdict I've received and I'll return with others in April next year to again take part in peaceful protests against these weapons of mass destruction."

"I'm not surprised by this verdict but it remains to be seen if this is appealed, like my last not guilty one."

The verdict was welcomed by protest groups

Jane Tallents, spokesman for Trident Ploughshare, said she hoped Mr Sheridan's verdict would encourage more people to become involved in anti-nuclear demonstrations.

"Tommy is one of many hundreds of people who appear in court for breach of the peace charges. Sadly they don't have his status and are forgotten about by most people," she said.

"However, we are all fighting the same cause and we just hope that decisions like this pave the way for peaceful protests to become more accepted by everyone."