MEDIA RELEASE

ANTI-WAR CAMPERS ARRESTED FOR CONSPIRACY

17th March 2003, for immediate release

Three of the protestors from the anti-militarist camp at RAF Welford were arrested this morning while taking the minibus back to the hire company in London. They were arrested for conspiracy to cause criminal damage despite there being no evidence of conspiracy whatsoever. They are currently being held at Newbury police station and have not yet been charged. It is likely that the main reason for these arrests is to get the protestors away from RAF Welford.

This is only one of the ways in which the police have been harassing the protestors. A Section 44 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act has been put in place in the whole Thames Valley policing area, enabling police officers to stop and search people and vehicles at any time. A mobile police station has been driving back and forth past the camp constantly over the past two days. A camera has been fitted to a watchtower in the base purely for the purposes of monitoring the camp. Police officers have been coming into the camp and harassing the protestors, taking photographs of them while they’re asleep.

All of this should be seen as an attempt to scare the protestors away, but the camp continues. Stopping the bombs getting to the bombers at Fairford is one of only a few ways people can have a direct effect on the war, and the protestors are calling for more people to join the camp. See below for directions.

For more information contact the group’s Media Officer, Kate Jackson, on 07817 061183 or by email at  welfordcamp@hotmail.com.


To get to the camp:
By road: Leave the M4 at Junction 14. Drive from Welford to Westbrook. Take the No Through road on the left in Westbrook. Drive up and park near the gate, then walk up the bridleway over the M4, and follow the path around the field. The camp is in a large barn.
By public transport: Buses 146 and 147 go from Newbury to Upper Shefford.
See this website for location of RAF Welford and Welford village:  http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?X=440000&Y=172500&scale=50000&coordsys=gb
Call 07817 061183 for more information.


Notes for Editors:
The protestors are camping near RAF Welford, Berkshire in order to watch the base round the clock and take direct action to stop bombs from being taken to Fairford.

RAF Welford is run as a satellite to Fairford by the 424th Air Base Squadron. The base’s primary mission is to support the bomber forward operating location at USAF Fairford. It is certain in the event of war on Iraq bombs will be taken from Welford to Fairford. Although Fairford has a small supply of bombs, once these have been used bombs from Welford will be transported by lorry to Fairford, 38 miles away.

If you are able to get to Welford or Fairford very quickly when the bombs begin their journey and would like to be contacted as soon as this happens in order to join the protest, either at Welford or Fairford or to block the lorries en route, please phone 07817 061183 and we will add you to our list of contacts.

USAF Fairford is 8 miles east of Cirencester, 10 miles north of Swindon and 20 miles west of Oxford. Fairford is on the A417 going east to west, or along the A361 going north to south, turning onto the A417 at Lechlade village.
See:  http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?X=410000&Y=200000&scale=200000