Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors

Reporter is refused entry at RAF Fairford

(from Swindon Evening Advertiser - 4/4/03)

PEACE protesters have launched a verbal attack on the police after the Evening Advertiser was refused entry to their camp at RAF Fairford.

A line of officers refused to allow a reporter and a photographer into the camp, which is on public land near Gate 10 of the US air base.

When challenged, Chief Inspector Mike Lewis, of Gloucestershire Constabu-lary, said yesterday that access was being denied because of public safety issues.

Because the base is now active, he said, there was a danger that members of the public could be harmed.

A group of protesters left the camp and spoke of their anger.

Until yesterday, reporters were allowed access to the site, where 12 protesters have been camped for a month just yards from the runway where 14 B-52s take off on missions against Iraq.

Now journalists have to make an appointment with the police before they visit the camp.

Speaking as the engines of five B-52s roared on the runway, protester Adele Perret, 27, said: "This is definitely not a free country anymore. We live in a police state.

"The police are trying to scare the media away.

"It's really important that we are able to speak to journalists. This is press censorship. The war gets enough coverage, so we need to be able to speak out, too."

A protester who calls himself Sam Fisheye, 35, said: "Until you turned up today we were able to speak to the press.

"We have had reporters from Le Monde and the BBC. We've had Swedish, Chinese, Russian and Canadian journalists here."

A protester known as Briar, 36, said: "It's absolutely disgusting. They have no right to do this."

The demonstrators have been featured in the Evening Advertiser on several occasions since the first peace camp was established in February.

The latest camp is off the Dunfield road, which is one of several roads near the base that have been closed.

Anyone using it is now searched by officers under Section 44 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

The stop and search powers, which have to be sanctioned by the Home Office, ran out on Wednesday, but have now been extended until April 27.

Because the road is closed for what the police describe as safety reasons, the police say they have the power to stop anyone from entering the peace camp.

The protesters are allowed to come and go because they were camped there prior to the road closure.

Gloucestershire Constabu-lary spokesman Steve Partridge said: "People are only allowed in for access purposes.

"If police officers follow the letter of the law they can deny access to reporters.

"Protesters at the camp are allowed to bring food and water in."

Swindon police temporarily closed the Commonhead Roundabout yesterday afternoon to allow 14 military lorries heading for RAF Fairford to pass through.