Brize Norton - 2nd gate closed

While peace protestors and activists block one gate - a covert group from London including a full pink samba band blocked the second busy gate on carterton highroad.

Upon arriving at Brize Norton (late - sorry!) the group from London found the place successfully blocked and a colourful protest.

After playing for half an hour it was felt that a more useful protest would be to go and make our presence known at another entrance as police advised us that the base was still fully functioning through the gate on the highstreet.

So off we trundled to play to them as well. Upon arriving, the gate was busier than ever. (oddly there seemed to be some kind of hawaian party going on).

Before we were within 50 metres of the gates, the two police guarding it paniced and closed everything down - turning away all the cars. Confused, we hung around for a while on the grass not playing, not doin much, just psyching them out with our presence - 10 drummers a journalist and 7 or 8 others brandishing one cardboard plackard... we were a formidable sight in front of one of Britain's biggest military bases!

After a while we thought we better play something and make a scene otherwise people would have thought that the police were shutting the base for no reason.

After an hour and a half of playing, entertaining the base (and a little girl who had come for chips) and a bit of banter with a friendly policeman we decided to leave.

This gate was closed until 3.30 approximately.

Rhythms of Resistance

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

excellent

13.08.2006 15:18

Thanks so much for coming all the way up from london, we did wonder what happened to you, and your idea of going to the other gate was great.

Unfortunataly as you left when you did we couldn't give you directions to the peace camp, that were only handed out at the end, as it was being set up that day, and until the tents were up and the (section 6?) notices up, there was a bit of secrecy.

I hop you'll be back

farrindon peace group have called a repeat next week:

"Dear Friends
The demo at Brize Norton military base today (12/8?06) was so successful there's going to be another next Saturday, 12 noon, at the main gate. (This is the base the US uses for refuelling transport planes carrying ordinance to Tel Aviv.)

Today, 50-60 people came, from Swindon, Bristol, London, Faringdon and other places, for a couple of hours and caused the gate to be closed. Our banners were easily seen by plenty of passing traffic on the main road, often we got toots of support. All was peaceful, except at the end when an anarchist group from Wales marched off holding a long banner across the road, leading to a couple of arrests.

So:
Demo at Main Gate , Brize Norton Saturday 19 August, 12 noon"

Andy

Strange Odour

14.08.2006 13:18

I thought that all of the protestors smelt like skunks.
I think the guards were scared that the smell mite get transferred when touched.

awesome
mail e-mail: mashdawson@hotmail.com

Why????

14.08.2006 13:35

What do you think you are going to achieve by staging this farce of a demonstration you claim is for peace.You also claim that you know so much about the going-ons at this camp spouting off what lands here, what they are carring and where they are going, then you obviously know that know matter how many times you stage these farcical protests at RAF Brize Norton no change will come of what lands and takes off from this camp,the knowledgable among you will know there is no-one on this camp that will possibly ever have the authority to stop such actions, and the only place that, that sort of authority could be actioned is in London with Mr Blair and his council. The fact that you also do not care about the families of dead British Forces personnel disgusts me they come here to collect the dead bodies of their children and loved ones and you portray that they have died for no just cause! Have you no campassion for these mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, wives the list of people you are disgracing and shaming is endless. I hope you know that if it wasn't for these brave people you would'nt have the right to stage such protests without the possiblility of being shot as go on in other countries which do not let their citizens have such freedom of speech.

Taff Thomas
mail e-mail: Taff767@hotmail.co.uk

sorry i wasn't there to support you

16.08.2006 18:57

Believe it or not, i actually had better things to do on a saturday afternoon.

Get a life (and a job) ( and possibly a wash)

JANE

Kollektives

London Topics

Major Coverage

Other IMCs