TO mark the entry into the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), campaigners have projected images and slogans onto key Edinburgh buildings, as part of the worldwide celebration.
The images were projected onto the Scottish Parliament, the government building at Victoria Quay, The Tron on the Royal Mile, and, as a special challenge to the UK Government which has refused to acknowledge the treaty, on the new Scotland Office building in New Street.
As well as “The World is No Place for Nuclear Weapons”, the images noted that the treaty has outlawed nuclear weapons and that the Scottish Government supports it.
The TPNW prohibits the developing, testing, producing, manufacturing, otherwise acquiring, possessing, stockpiling, transferring, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons – as well as assisting other states with these prohibited activities, stationing, deployment or installation of nuclear weapons belonging to other states on a state party’s territory.
The nine nuclear weapons states (including the UK) have not signed or ratified the TPNW but nevertheless it will affect their capabilities and, more importantly, it is already changing the global perception of what is acceptable.
Trident Ploughshares member Margaret Bremner said: “Campaigners recognise that the Scottish Government supports this treaty but pressure will need to continue to convince the UK to accede to its demands.”
In the coming weeks, only subscribers will be able to comment on The National articles. Subscribe now or log in to make sure you stay a part of the conversation.
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. What should we do with our second vote in 2021? What happens if Westminster says no to indyref2?
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 conversation, register under fake names, and post vile abuse. We’ve had hundreds of emails from you complaining about this, asking us to take steps to ensure that these people aren’t given a platform on our site.
We’re listening to you, and here’s how we plan to make that happen.
We have decided to make the ability to comment only available to our 10,000 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.
We’ll be monitoring this change over the first few weeks, and we’re keen to know your thoughts. Email us at letters@thenational.scot if you want to have your say.
Callum Baird, Editor of The National