Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors

USAF Fairford Peace Camp

DAY 1 - PRESS RELEASE - For immediate release - Monday 17th Feb 2003.

Contact: on site at the camp
Kate Holcombe 07748 015601
Press office: Dave Cockcroft – 07768 418960 or email peacecamp@gwi.org.uk
Background info and online updates: Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors – www.gwi.org.uk

STOP THE WAR CAMPAIGNERS LAUNCH FAIRFORD PEACE CAMP

Monday 17th Feb 2003 - Peace activists have added another dimension in the “Don’t Attack Iraq” campaign by setting up a peace camp at USAF Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire. Situated in the village of Kempsford, just south of Fairford airbase, the peace camp organiser Jill Chadwick asks other peace campaigners to come and join the camp. “We welcome everyone who wants to maintain peace and find better ways of resolving problems” she said.

The camp will run for 28 days and seeks to draw attention to the B-2 Stealth Bomber base at Fairford and it’s key role in the planned war on Iraq. The camp will monitor aircraft during the build up to war and provide news for other peace campaigners on activity at the base.

Greenham Common Peace Camp veteran Jill Chadwick explains “Fairford is one of just three bases outside the US equipped to house the B-2 Stealth Bomber and we want to make sure it’s kept in the public eye. We are concerned that weapons of mass destruction will be used from here. There is a very real threat of the use of mini-nuclear bunker busting bombs as well as dirty nuclear bombs made from depleted uranium.”

Anyone attending the camp is asked to respect the privacy of local people and minimise any inconvenience for them. The camp is a peaceful expression of hope that better ways can be found to resolve conflict than resorting to war. We hope and pray that peaceful resolution can be found to the Iraq crisis before the innocent people of Iraq suffer the terror of the most intensive bombing campaign ever.

Fairford Protest on 23rd Feb will link with the Peace Camp – organised by CND:

There will be a major stop the war protest at Fairford on Sunday 23rd. Organised by CND the protest, titled “Exercise your rights – walk the base” will starting at 12.00 noon in Fairford village and process to the main gate of the airbase. The Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors will, once again, request to inspect the base and then protestors will walk the boundary fences past the peace camp, in Kempsford, around two miles from the main gate.

Peace Camp Notes:

The camp welcomes visitors and campers even if they can only stay for a limited period. Loans or donations of the following equipment would be most welcome.

· Spare tents, tarps and sleeping bags.
· Composting loos, shovels and trowels.
· Stoves, cooking, pots, trivets & firewood.
· Tables and chairs, boxes and eating equipment.
· Wood burners, carpets and comforts.
· Banners & lots of pretty things to decorate the site.
· Bards, musicians, poets and other peaceful entertainment.
· Remedies, good energy and plenty of cake.

Notes for Editors:

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
www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?X=415000&Y=197000&scale=25000&coordsys=gb

For more information about recent and forthcoming protests at USAF Fairford visit the Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors website www.gwi.org.uk