Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors

G10 Peace Camp under arbitary police sanctions

Whilst G10 is now established and even has it's own post code - please keep sending letters and post cards. It is now subject to an embargo of certain essential items. Campers and visitors are not allowed to bring firewood, essential camping equipment such as sleeping bags, blankets, clean clothes or toiletries like toothbrushes to the camp. On the whole food and water is still allowed in. Read the report from the Swindon Evening Adverstise 4/4/03 - "Reporter is refused entry at RAF Fairford".

10.00pm 4/4 - things just got worse... the police have been turning people away from the camp tonight. They access is for residents only. This in nonsense - here is the road closure order - this clearly says "Access to frontages for vehicles and pedestrians will be maintained". The fact that they have acknowledged there are residents means G10 is a property with a frontage and is allowed visitors. We are advised that there is nothing in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 that restricts visitors to the properties affected by a road closure. Be assertive but be sensible... see sanctions busting below - it's probably best to avoid walking into or touching any police people if at all possible.

6.00pm 4/4 - we have been asked to leave G10 for our own safety - the RAF have decided suddenly that camping at G10 is an unacceptable risk to the campers and we should go. We have said how come now and not last week? Why just us and not others living near the airbase? Show us the paperwork that makes this a legal requirement?.. we've been told this will be forthcoming early next week and the police will then take advice as to whether they can force us to go...

For the past few days in what is clearly an attempt to remove the camp by making it as uncomfortable as possible to be there, the police, acting we suspect under instructions from the Home Office who are in turn under pressure from the US authorities, are attempting to hassle the peace campers into giving up and getting out.

However we continue to attract media attention from around the world and this keeps attention focussed on the B-52's as they load up to carpet bomb Iraq. And lets not pretend these planes are loading with precision guided bombs - they're not - they're being loaded day after day with tons of plain old free fall bombs. These bombs are moved every couple of days on a convoy of trucks from Welford munitions store near Newbury through the lanes of Gloucestershire to Fairford.

Help bust the G10 sanctions

There is we believe no legal basis for preventing these supplies reaching the camp. The police are acting under instruction to prevent these items coming to the camp but they do not have any legal basis for doing so. So if you'd like to challenge this situation try to bring firewood, or a sleeping bag or blanket to the camp. You'll be stopped and told you cannot do this. Ask them why and record what they say (a video camper or dictaphoen is good idea). Persist and see what happens (you'll likely be threatened with arrest for obstruction or breach of the peace). At this point you could continue trying to walk up the road but if you make any physical contact with the police you'll risk being arrested for assult. So we suggest you just sit down, hold on to you forbidden item and wait to see what happens. If you know a friendly journalist why not gvie them a call and tell them what's happening to you. Try to make sure you have witnesses and if possible someone should be video filming.

Please don't swear at the police or they'll arrest you for that and don't use any physical force even walking into them will likely result in a charge of assulting a police officer. Please also be aware that if you are charged, even with an offence that you didn't commit and possibly that the police have no intention of ever bringing to trial, you will likely get bail conditions that prevent you form returning to Fairford until after your trial... and that could keep getting delayed until the war is over.

To find G10 Peacecamp check out the MAPS PAGE of this site. The camp is about 3/4 of a mile from Kempsford or 1/4 mile for Dunfield. In general you should park carefully in Kempsford (don't forget to have a pint at the Axe and Compass. Sarah allowed the peace camp to be there for a long time and she's still our friend). Dunfield is a very small village and we discourage people driving up there unless absolutely necessary to drop off a heavy load of supplies. If you're coming to stay for a while it might be best to hitch or get dropped off by friends as the parking really is very limited and we're trying not to annoy the local people who have, on the whole, been very supportive.

Read about how the camp was getting along on 27th March and about an earlier attempt to remove the peace camp when it was forced to relocated by the Americans. Thankfully we seem to be over this kind of thing for the time being at least. Remember the camp is a legal protest against the war and although unwelcome is not actually breaking any law.