About 30 members of a 65-strong group of students from Irish universities and colleges, including USI president Julian de Spainn, were arrested in Scotland last week when they took part in what was later claimed to be the largest antinuclear blocade in Britain since l961.

The students, members of a green and social issues umbrella group called Gluaiseacht for Social Justice, joined with more than 1,000 people to protest and blocade the Faslane naval base, 30 miles from Glasgow, where the four British Trident nuclear weapon submarines are berthed and maintained.

Cian O'Callaghan of USI said the blocade was "very successful". In all, 370 activists were arrested - including the Irish group, who were held for about 12 hours.