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RAF Brize Norton Peace March and Rally. Saturday 23 April

eileen | 24.04.2005 10:53 | Anti-militarism | Oxford

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Blair's head
Blair's head

Blair=Bush=Saddam: War Criminals
Blair=Bush=Saddam: War Criminals

Red Notes Choir
Red Notes Choir

Red Notes close-up
Red Notes close-up

Breach of the Peace samba band
Breach of the Peace samba band

Faringdon Peace Group
Faringdon Peace Group

Swindon banner
Swindon banner

March with horses
March with horses

Mainly locals
Mainly locals

Aerial surveillance
Aerial surveillance

Banners in the wood
Banners in the wood

Blair effigy by RAF Brize Norton main gate
Blair effigy by RAF Brize Norton main gate

Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson

Rajid
Rajid

Who he?
Who he?

Horses by main gate
Horses by main gate

Heave!
Heave!

Toppled!!
Toppled!!


There were around a hundred marchers on Saturday, including one coachload from Oxford and one from Bristol. People came from as far afield as Wrexham, bringing a variety of colourful banners as well as vital supplies of chocolate bunnies, flapjacks and hot soup. Music was provided by the Oxford samba group Breach of the Peace, and the Bristol-based singing group Red Notes with a little additional assistance from some of Oxford's Sea Green Singers. There was a grotesquely-excessive police presence, including a number of mounted police. The main street of Carterton was crowded with people, who had apparently never seen anything like it before. An unusual feature was how many of the local boys decided to come along with us on the march despite the rain, and stayed on pretty much throughout the day's events. Presumably because of the novelty rather than any deep commitment, though it would be interesting to know if their experience had any lasting influence on them.

(there are more pics, though mainly near-duplicates)

eileen