Just in: Long-time UK anti-nuclear activist Crispin Aubrey has died

LONG STANDING ANTI NUCLEAR CAMPAIGNER DIES

29 September 2012

[…]

It is with huge sadness that Stop Hinkley announces the untimely death of Crispin Aubrey.

The Stop Hinkley campaign is coming to terms with the news that spokesperson Crispin Aubrey suffered a fatal heart attack on Friday afternoon in the midst of the preparations for the planned protest against Hinkley C next weekend.

Crispin played a key role in the preparations and was due to speak at the rally next Saturday. Crispin’s wife Sue, also part of the Stop Hinkley campaign, has bravelyrequested that the ‘show must go on because it’s what Crispin would have wanted’.

The Aubreys were involved in the original protest against Hinkley C over twenty years ago. Crispin took a lead role in the public enquiry and coordinated the campaign which was heralded a success as the reactor was never built.

Crispin was a life-long campaigner and had been a journalist all his working life, starting at the Hampshire Chronicle and London’s Time Out magazine. He wrote widely on environmental issues and was committed to the promotion of renewable energy.

Crispin was well respected contributor to the Stop Hinkley campaign and to the fight against new nuclear in the UK.

[…]

http://stophinkley.org/PressReleases/pr120929.htm

Crispin Aubrey obituary

Journalist and environmental campaigner who was a defendant in the ABC secrecy case

• Duncan Campbell
• guardian.co.uk, Sunday 30 September

[..]

Crispin Aubrey, the journalist, author and campaigner, who has died of a heart attack aged 66, came to national prominence when he was arrested under the Official Secrets Act in 1977. His subsequent trial and the campaign around it led to a re-examination of secrecy legislation and shone a light into some of the darker corners of the intelligence services.

Born to Margery Aubrey, an illustrator, and her husband, Lawrie, an insurance broker, in Chipstead, Surrey, Crispin went to Leighton Park, a Quaker school in Reading, Berkshire. From there he won a scholarship to read English literature at Christ Church, Oxford.

His journalistic career began as a general reporter on the Hampshire Chronicle. He joined Time Out magazine, then in its early, radical days, in 1974. He was one of the first investigative reporters to focus on the environment and nuclear energy.

In the late 70s, Time Out became involved in exposing British and American government secrecy and dirty tricks, with the help of the dissident ex-CIA agent, Philip Agee. Agee and another Time Out reporter, the American Mark Hosenball, who had just co-authored an exposé of GCHQ, the government’s communications headquarters in Cheltenham, were served with deportation orders by the then home secretary, Merlyn Rees, “in the interests of national security”. An ultimately unsuccessful campaign to halt their expulsions was launched, with Aubrey at its forefront.

[…]

more here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/30/crispin-aubrey?newsfeed=true

BBC version 30 september 2012 (1 day late)

The Stop Hinkley campaign said the journalist and author suffered a heart attack on Friday afternoon.

Mr Aubrey, from Somerset, had been due to speak next weekend at a protest against the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.

 

He came to national prominence when he was arrested under the Official Secrets Act while at Time Out magazine in 1977.

The so-called ABC trial was named after the three defendants – Aubrey, former soldier John Berry and investigative journalist Duncan Campbell.

They were convicted on a lesser charge and given non-custodial sentences after appearing at the Old Bailey in 1978…..

[…]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19718052

Hinkley C Public Debate – Protester Crispin

Aubrey says Process Undemocratic & Flawed (VIDEO)

Published on Mar 21, 2012 by 2b3n4m5q7

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this inspirational activist. [arclight2011]

September 30, 2012 - Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized