THOUSANDS of protesters from around the country gathered at AWE Aldermaston on Monday to voice their opposition against nuclear weapons made at the site.

The protest, organised by Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and supported by recently formed group Action AWE, saw around 2,000 people gather at the gates around the AWE perimeter. Waving banners, singing songs, preaching and banging pots and pans, the protesters certainly made their voices, and opinions, clear.

Jane Alexander, 57, travelled down from Oxford to attend the protest. She said: “We are trying to raise awareness of how crazy it is to spend our money on nuclear weapons which are unnecessary.

“It is money which should be spent on education, health and help for the disabled.”

Officers from the Hampshire, Thames Valley and Metropolitan Police forces patrolled the area on foot and on horses at the non-violent protest.

At sites around the perimeter, the protesters also set up individual camps. A faith camp was created at the main gate, where Christians, Muslims, Sikhs and others came together to preach and protest, a women’s gate was formed by members of Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, an Easter Egg hunt was held at another camp, and a group of CND members dressed as clowns at another.

Speaking on April 1, CND press officer Luke Massey said: “With it being April Fools’ Day, we are getting the message out there – ‘stop fooling with nuclear weapons’.

“We have people here from all over, including Wales and Scotland. It’s one of the biggest protests we will be holding this year.”

At the end of the protest, which ran from noon to 2pm, protesters from each of the camps banged pots, pans and anything to hand, creating a noise which could be heard all around the site.

The event marked the start of a month-long protest by CND against the Government proposals to replace the Trident nuclear weapons programme.