Lakenheath - Independence from America
d mish | 05.07.2004 17:17 | Anti-militarism | Cambridge
July 4th - American Independence Day. An ideal time for the UK to declare it's independence from the policies of this American administration.
If only. But some members of the UK population did. At the misnamed RAF Lakenheath base (it should be USAF) around 50 activists gathered to declare our independence from the USA, and our objections to the USA basing combat aircraft, nuclear and other bombs in our country. This base has been used for dropping cluster bombs on Iraq in the most recent conflict. The nuclear bombs are illegal. We don't want them here.
So there was music, theatre, tea, cake and cucumber sandwiches for the many well dressed attendees at the Peacemakers Ball. And the fence was made more colourful with the addition of a variety of banners.
Later the protest moved to RAF Feltwell (another misnamed USAF base). A large 4th of July party was going on inside, and party goers were offered information on the secret Lakenheath nukes as they went in. The response rate was frankly pretty low. Maybe it was hard to hear inside the rather large SUVs and pickups favoured by many of the base pickups.
The party (outside the base) was still going well at 9pm. But the party to celebrate the removal of illegal US nukes will be even bigger ...
So there was music, theatre, tea, cake and cucumber sandwiches for the many well dressed attendees at the Peacemakers Ball. And the fence was made more colourful with the addition of a variety of banners.
Later the protest moved to RAF Feltwell (another misnamed USAF base). A large 4th of July party was going on inside, and party goers were offered information on the secret Lakenheath nukes as they went in. The response rate was frankly pretty low. Maybe it was hard to hear inside the rather large SUVs and pickups favoured by many of the base pickups.
The party (outside the base) was still going well at 9pm. But the party to celebrate the removal of illegal US nukes will be even bigger ...
d mish
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Additional report
06.07.2004 14:25
by Pumkin
USAF Lakenheath and USAF Feltwell, Suffolk.
Well it was quite obvious that Independence from America is high on the ‘want’ list of anyone with a social conscience.
As yesterday, around 80 people arrived at USAF Lakenheath dressed in Ball gowns, tux’s, as peace pearlies, big corporations and other strange outfits to show that most of us here in the UK, and around the world want freedom, from the greedy, aggressive American foreign policies we have forced upon us by dangerous and powerful people.
The evening was full of fantastic cabaret acts that had travelled long distances to be there.
M1 music’s La Magnifiq gave us some political rapping, The Peace Pearlies sang traditional songs with new words and all had great outfits full of pearl buttons, Norwich stop the war, gave us some street theatre “The hand over of power-To what?’ Fiddle, vocal and guitar dance folk music by Robert and two lovely lady’s, Solo guitar and vocals by Seth, poetry by Graham, read so passionately that a police officer asked me to calm him down!!
I left him too it!, Ken from Red Flag solo guitar, Kate Hudson [CND] spoke about the dangers of the American Policies, Nuclear weapons and the US Bases , Davida read out the Declaration of Independence from America but had to stop due to crazy rain fall [ it will be put on Lakenheath action groups website so we can all read it], and some more street theatre from Theatre of War ‘ The Nuke fashion Show’ With Stephane from Swervy World playing sax effects.
Make cakes not War, had a delicious tea and cake stall as usual and kept us all going.
Thank’s to all who came and helped and performed and danced and smiled and leafleted… Martin and Helen did a great job of helping the police redirect the traffic to another gate by saying ‘ The reason they shut this gate was because they don’t want you to have this information.’ and handing them a leaflet. Nice job Pearlies!
Same time next year?!
moomin
Homepage:
http://www.easf.org.uk/report.php?id=32