A protester arrested at Fairford US Air Force base is making his own principled stand against what he sees as a blatant abuse of civil liberties at the anti-war demonstration yesterday.

The protester, who has become known as ‘Bouncy’ is currently being held at Stroud police station charged under a section of the Criminal Justice Act which requires protesters to remove facial coverings. Police routinely use the act to collect protesters names and addresses although they actually do not have the legal right to do this.

‘Bouncy’ has refused to provide police with personal details. He has also been refusing food since his arrest at 2pm Saturday, and intends to continue his hunger strike.

“The whole thing is farcical”, he said yesterday, speaking from police custody, “I cannot co-operate with this.”
It is clear that civil liberties went completely out of the window yesterday as the authorities decided they were going to halt legitimate protest by any means necessary, legal or not.

Police used the Prevention of Terrorism Act to repeatedly search, intimidate and harass people protesting peacefully at the base. Police also prevented hundreds of protesters from reaching the protest at all. Three coaches from London were turned away and escorted by police back down the M4 to London. A group from Swindon who were also trying to join the protest were turned away.
The protester will be taken before Cheltenham magistrates on Monday. It is likely he will then be remanded in prison, where he will continue his campaign.