Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors

USAF Fairford Peace Camp

27-Feb - the Peace Camp has relocated to the rear of the Axe and Compass pub in Kempsford. The landlady who is sympathetic towards the peace camp has offered refuge following a near eviction from the previous site. Could prospective campers pleace call Kate 07748 015601 as the site has limited places. Still plenty of room just now and the camp very much needs a few more regulars - local verges have been identified for overnighters if things overflow. The camp is seeking a sympathetic local land owner with a larger site who would permit peaceful and careful campers. The map has been updated to show the new location - which is only a few hundred metres from the previous site. So come along - watch the airbase and sample the excellent selection of real ales.

Very early on the morning of Monday 17th Fab 2003, by the light of the full moon, a small group of peace activists established a camp adjacent to USAF Fairford. They will monitor the build up for war and hold out hope for a peaceful resolution. They are asking for more people to come and join the camp. Click the map for the camp location and see GWI intelligence page for more info on how to get to Fairford and read the Peace Camp Starts press release.

See daily reports and pictures below.... these will be updated soon but we've had computer problems and been busy with legal matter for a few days.

Day 1 - Monday 17th Feb 2003.

MEDIA MADNESS

The bombers fly in the dark of the moon and we arrived at the full. Reached the site at 4.00am and set up with no problems. Friendly visits from MOD and Glos police at 7.00am and later in the day. Contacted Dave to chase the media and our day of stardom begins. By 8.00 we're live on Radio Glos. and Wilts. and by 9.00 there are TV crews on site. Then it's non stop interviews pretty much all day finishing with a live broadcast to Central news at 6pm. The locals very helpful and friendly on the whole with lots of support and offers of help.

If you come to visit or camp PLEASE NO VEHICLES ON SITE NOT EVEN BIKES - park carefully on roads nearby (see farmer hassles below).

We'd like more campers as soon as possible. Martin from Stroud stopped overnight and helped with radio interviews at breakfast on day 2. If you can make it down give us a call first - Jill Chadwick – 07905 131020 or Cheesy 07947 614941 or Kate 07748 015601 - if mobile are off it's because they're discharged with all these press interviews - try one of the other numbers.

Only down side is we've been informed it's not county council land as thought but belongs to a local farmer. Later in morning we were threatened with eviction (but still 20/2 no notice has been served) and the farmer would clearly like us to move. We'll stay for 28 days as planned unless we're offered an acceptable site locally where we've got support from the land owner.

Day 2 - 18 Feb 2003

BLOCKED IN BY THE FARMER

Breakfast with the BBC and plenty of interviews to do most of the morning. Local builder calls around to see if we want firewood and comes back half an hour later with most of a demolished building. So if you're coming to visit one thing we don't need is firewood!

Major excitement around midday when the farmer comes to blockade us into the site. He dumps old farm machinery in the entrance and we just scramble our cars out before he comes back and drops a large concrete block across the rest, blocking the public footpath to all but the most nimble. Anyway saves us worrying about press and visitors bringing vehicles onto the site. We called the police who were less helpful than we hoped.

Anyway not seen him since although the NFU contacted local news to say we'd been evicted and Dave gto a bunch of early moring calls on Weds from the newspapers wanting to know what had happened. All our mobiles were off because they'd run out of juice or we'd run out of things to say.

This picture shows the fences of Fairford airbase in the background - just across the road.

Day 3 - 19 Feb 2002

We FINALLY GET A BIT OF PEACE AND PUT OUR FEET UP

The Fairford Peace Camp is firmly established and thriving in the winter sunshine. Despite freezing temperatures the campers are finding time to put they're feet up, watch the planes fly by and wait for more campers to roll up.

Jill Chadwick one of the camp organisers made the point that contrary to earlier reports they have not been served an evicition notice. "We planned to be here for 28 days, until next full moon, and we're staying put. As far as we're concerned the Americans are unwelcome visitors on the airbase across the road. We're offering a deal, if they pack up their bags and go home we'll do the same."

After two days in the media limelight the group are enjoying the welcome quite and the time to get the camp organised. Today they've installed a solar powered charger, kindly loaned by the Green Shop in Bisley and essential to keep phone and computer running for communication with the outside world. They're also very proud of the new dining table they've built from scrap wood donated by a local builder.

Relations with the police and local residents are cordial and the campers say they're
keen to have visitors and hope that soon more people will bring tents and join them.

They're particularly looking forward to the demonstration on Sunday 23rd Feb (which
starts at 12.00 in Fairford village). Hundreds of peace protesters are expected to take
part in a three mile country stroll from Fairford village to the peace camp, stopping
off to inspect the airbase for weapons of mass destruction on route. The protest, titled
"Exercise yuor rights - walk the base" is being coordinated by CND and Gloucestershire
Weapons Inspectors. Protestors visiting the camp will be entertained by Poets for Peace
and wandering minstrels.

20-Feb-02: Peace Camp Attacked by Vigilantes

At 10pm last night (19/Feb/2003) as the peace campers were retiring to bed the camp was attacked by six men dressed head to foot in black. After running around the camp shouting they caused criminal damage to protestor Kate Holbrook's car, the only vehicle at the camp. All four tyres were slashed.

The protestors felt certain the group was linked to the land owner who has been unwelcoming towards the peace camp. Although there was a threat of eviction on the first morning of the camp there has been no legal notice of eviction served on the camp. The campers were concerned that rather than use the force of law to evict them he appeared to prefer to take the law into his own hands. However the farmer has been to visit the camp today to view the damage to Kate's car and says he's shocked that this happened and it had nothing to do with him. The camp organisers say meaningful discussions are now underway.

PEACE HAS BROKEN OUT

So peace has broken out for now in the field next to Fairford airbase. Whoever organised the vigilate action last night needs to be aware that the camp will not be detered by such tactics. If anything it increases their determination to continue. The peace campers are encouraging other protestors to come and join them as soon as possible in order to deter further incidents and allow the camp to start to monitor the increased activity at the airbase more closely.

Plenty of visitors today including students from Stroud Art College who did a great job stacking the mountain of firewood. More good contact with the locals and a busy day for Kate getting new wheels from the junkyard.

Helen John of CND camped overnight and will be encouraging her wide network of contacts to get on down and enjoy the fresh air of Gloucestershire. With recent press coverage of the US intention to push ahead with development of new nuclear weapons and wreck the non-proliferation treaty we need a resurgence in CND activism.

The camp is located in Kempsford in a field near the Axe and Compass public house.
The Grid Reference is - SU153971, 51:40:21N, 1:46:44W
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