Press release Tuesday April 6th 17:30
Reclaim the Bases
www.reclaimthebases.org.uk
0845 458 2564/ 0794 7839992



***USAF Fairford*** 07768 418960
Over a hundred anti war actvists at Fairford continued their sponsored stop and search with great success.
The action, part of the ongoing anti war presence at the base, was designed to higlight the ridiculous repeated use of stop and search powers under Section 44 of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill at USAF Fairford.
The embarassed police refrained from their regular practice of repeatedly stopping and searching people. Dave Cockcroft of Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors said, "Today our sponsored stop and search has shown that creative action to demonstrate to the British state how ridiculous it is being can bring about quick turnarounds in policy. We hope that continued creative anti war action can reverse our Government's ridiculous policy of brainlessly following the US regime, however dangerous, bloody and illegal their policies are. Today we have seen cluster bombs being loaded onto B52s, we are appalled that weapons which lead to the same dangers as illegal landmines are being flown out from British soil."

***RAF Wellford*** (Peter 07790 409339)
At RAF Wellford in Berkshire 15 activists took part in a sponsored stop and
search like the one at Fairford. Unsually, the police were reluctant to stop
and search activists more than once.

"Usually, the police are very keen to stop and search protestors over and
over again. Unusually, today, on the day of the first ever sponsored stop
and search at Wellford they only stopped and searched us once. Even though
the police have been reluctant to stop and search people today, it's very
clear that they are using the anti terrorist legislation to discriminate
against lawful protestors. They searched our group but they weren't
intersted in other Sunday ramblers or the press photographers."
"Wellford is the store for the bombs which are currently being dropped on
baghdad and we need to increase the prssure on the base here to show our
opposition."

***PJHQ Northwood (Britain's military HQ, NW London)***
About 180 protestors travelled to Northwood today for a day of anti war action at Britian's military HQ on Watford Road. 60 protestors were illegally detained at Northwood tube station and forced back onto the tube. Another 60 protestors were illegally detained in a pen outside the main gates to the base.
20 protestors staged a sit down in the road near the main gates, 6 were arrested. Police applied pressure points to protestors and left some bleeding after dragging them accross the street.

6 women stripped naked in protest at the naked aggression of the US and UK invasion of Iraq and against the naked aggression of the police, who refused to let protestors out of the pen because they may have caused crimninal damage. Despite having no clothes on the police still contended that the women may have had something about their person with which they could carry out criminal damage.
At one point the police kidnapped 3 people walking around the streets near the base, drove them to the pen and forced them to join the people inside the pen.
Up to 90 people will now file a formal complaint with the police for illegal detention.

Based on legal advice received by people at the site, there is no legal
basis for the police action. Sian Jones of anti-war group d10 said "A senior
police officer has said that the confinement is to prevent a breach of the
peace, but this is illegal unless there is a threat of violence from the
people concerned. As this is a peaceful protest the only threat and use of
violence has been by the police."

"All over Britain, police are increasingly abusing their powers to prevent people protesting against this war. This in an extension of the war, to stamp out protest. While our Government is breaking international law in Iraq by attacking civilians with missiles, cluster bombs, tanks and machine guns, they are also breaking human rights law at home."

***RAF Mawgan*** (near Newquay, Cornwall) Sarah 01872 571038
120 anti war protestors, ranging in age from 2 to 80 protested against the war outside RAF Mawgan, near Newquay in Cornwall today. 20 weapons inspectors, clad in white suits requested entry for weapons inspections, one of whom was carrying a hypocrisy detector. Access was denied and the inspctors pointed out that the Iraqis never refused access for inspectors but have been bombed nonetheless.
The protestors, including some nuns laid mementoes and a few dozen reed crosses at the entrance of the road to the base.
Betty Levene of Cornwall Stop the War Coalition said "It is clear opposition to this war has not been deterred by it's onset. Many people now feel it is imperative to do all they can to end the war as soon as possible, by resisting it to the best of their ability and to make it quite clear to the UK
and US Governments that we are not prepared to be complicit in what is, by all
standards of international jurisprudence a crime punishable under international law."
Betty Levene, member of Cornwall STWC.




***RAF St. Athan's*** (Glamorgan, Wales) ( Joel 07901692296)
60 anti war protestors, including students from the USA, Israel, Malaysia,
Ghana, Italy, Peru, Pakistan and Spain marched up to RAF St Athan's, singing
peace songs. 47 bandaged, bloodied anti war activits staged a Die In for 30
minutes in front of the West Gate, blocking the gate. There were no arrests.
The protestors delivered a letter to base commander demanding that the UK
Government stop the use of cluster bombs and end the targetting of Iraqi
water and electricity. (Water and electricity stopped in Baghdad earlier
this week followiung US/ UK bombing, while International Red Cross staff
have struggled to restore water to Basra since it was bombed over a week
ago.)
They attached flowers and messages to gates reading, "No war for oil, not in
my name." and "Violence only leads to more violence."

***RAF Brawdy*** ( Pembrokeshire, Wales) (Margi 07833-684765/ 01437-769323 )
Cyclists took part in a 12 mile cycle ride to RAF Brawdy to hand in a petition against the war at the base.
The action was organised by Pembrokeshire Peace Initiative (PPI).
PPI co-ordinator Frederick Luckman said,
"We've been approached by a number of people with loved ones in
the Forces who support our campaign to stop the war and bring the
troops home. Our message this Sunday is: 'Cycle for peace - don't
peddle war'."

***RAF Molesworth*** (Suffolk) 2-4pm (0116 270 5604/
Liz 07720 704680) 15 protestors, age range 5 mths- 74 years old, had a
bonfire and lunch in the Peace Garden next to the base. The group, some of
whom have been protesting at Molesworth for many years planted seeds and
tied notices to the base reading "CND says no to war, yes to peace",
"Iraq war is not in our name." and "RAF Molesworth, gathering information
for the illegal and immoral war on Iraq"

Anna Cheatham of Leicester CND said, "Today we have brought peace to
Molesworth."

***RAF Cottesmore*** (Suffolk) (0116 220-3944/ 0789 0091716)
Thirty people staged a vigil in front of the main gates this afternoon, displaying
banners reading, "Keep the service personnel safe, bring them home",
"Starting a bad war does not make it good", "War is not the way to disarmament".
"Oppose this war, stop the next one." and "DU kills good too."
Jeff from Leicester CND said, "We're pleased to be here as witnesses for peace and show the service
families here that there is another way, that this is the USA's war, not ours and Tony Blair
should bring our troops home."





***Wilton*** (Wiltshire) A small demonstration was also held at Wilton (British land forces HQ) from 12-2pm (01722
325 692) attended by 12 adults and 4 children. They tied white ribbons on the fence and paper doves with peace messages on. "Peace", "British blood on Blair's hands", "Bring our troops home", "Troops home, aid in", "All lives are precious".
"There are huge famines in Africa now, while tens of billions of dollars are being spent on invading Iraq, against worldwide opinion."

Today actions were also planned at bases in the USA, Japan, Germany and Greece.
Yesterday there were anti war actions at USAF Fairford, Portsmouth naval HQ, Fylingdales US Space Command, Devonport naval base, the Hollywood barracks in Co Down, at 3 US and UK bases in Germany and the US base in Aviano in Italy.

Next weekend 11-13 April there will be actions at Aldermaston and Lakenheath.

The actions are being organised by groups near the bases.
The UK weekend of action was called by the D10 group, the international
weekend was called by War Resisters International.
For more details see www.reclaimthebases.org.uk or call 0845 458 2564