Press release Sunday 6 April

Weekend of action - 15 anti war actions at UK bases, 10 at bases in Germany, Italy, Greece, Japan and the USA.

Saturday 5th April Reclaim the bases

Naval HQ in Portsmouth closed
Police stage imaginary march at USAF Fairford
Weapons inspectors denied access at Devonport
RAF Stafford reclaimed.
Action at Fylingdales US Space Command.
More actions tomorrow.
First cross community anti war protest at Holyrood barracks, Co. Down

Naval HQ, Portsmouth
120 anti war activists gathered for nonviolent direct action at the Naval HQ in Portsmouth but the MOD closed all the gates for the day before they got there. All access gates and doors were closed since before lunchtime, including the visitors entrance. Police later opened the main gate but the activists sat in front of it, so they closed it again. It remained closed until 4.30pm, when the actrivists left. Two of the activists spent 3 hours on top of Portsmouth Harbour station since 1pm, facing the naval base with a banner reading "No war". Another was arrested for painting "No Blood for Oil" on the pavement outside the visitors entrance. Rosie Bremmer of Portsmouth Resistance said, "It appears just by announcing we were planning nonviolent direct action we managed to close down the Naval Headquarters. We must come back again! Today we have taken our protest against this illegal, immoral invasion of Iraq to the gates of the Naval HQ and closed it down."
Call Rosie on 07951 000955.

USAF Fairford
Activists are staging a sponsored stop and search this weekend in protest against the war on Iraq and the infringement on human rights resulting from the police operation around Fairford. Gloucestershoire Weapons Inspectors have invited people to come and walk around and see how many times they get stopped and searched under Section 44 of the 2000 terrorism bill. Participants are rasing money for humanitarian aid organisations working in Iraq and anti war groups. There are currently somewhere in the region of 100 peace protestors in the Fairford vicinity, but the police have blocked off many of the access roads and, despite protestors insistence that they have no intention of marching, the police organised a march! At one point police threatened to arrest people under section 12 of the public order act for not getting in a police coach to take to them to the police demo! The canny peacemakers went to the pub instead. Activists and media are currently attempting to visit the peace camp at Gate 10, but the police are preventing this without any legal reason. Dave Cockcroft of Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors said, "The police seem determined to police an imaginary demonstration. While Britain and the US claim they are killing thousands in Iraq to deliver freedom, our freedoms are being denied here, as they are denied every day. It seems the closer you get to the US military the less freedom you have."
Call 07768 418960

RAF Stafford
Following a vigil in Stafford Market 120 anti war protestors, including a 20 strong samba band marched to RAF Stafford, host to the Tactical Support Wing, an integral part of deployments being made by the RAF, navy and army in the Gulf. The protestors gathered in front of the gates, released doves for peace, and attached anti war messages to the fence.
Call Alison 0845 3303877/ 07960030038 Pics on http://uk.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=61891&group=webcast http://uk.indymedia.org:8081/front.php3?article_id=61890&group=webcast

Devonport, Plymouth
70 anti war activists, 15 in white weapons inspectors suits, staged a weapons inspection, making their way along the perimeter of the base. The weapons inspectors banged on the gates and hung notices recording that weapons inspectors were denied access to a base hosting illegal weapons of mass destruction. Matt Bury, of Plymouth Stop the War Coalition said, "We handed a letter to a senior Naval Officer regarding the hypocrisy of the war on Iraq, a war supposedly about weapons of mass destruction while the US and UK hold and continue to develop illegal weapons of mass destruction. Devonport is base to at least 12 nuclear powered submarines, including HMS Vanguard, a Trident class sub currently undergoing a refit.
call Matt 01752 227033

Fylingdales US Space Command base (Yorkshire) http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=61792&group=webcast
60 anti war activists, flying foil kites and wearing foil clothes joined an anti war demonstration at Fylingdales, part of the Star Wars system where they held a mile long march and a demo at the gate. 3 people managed to find their way inside the base. Two of them were ejected, the other one was arrested for breach of bail conditions.
Call 01287 660067 for more info.

Holyrood, Co Down
http://ireland.indymedia.org/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=40824
Anti-war activists from both sides of the community blockaded Palace Barracks, Hollywood, Co Down After symbolically blocking the entrance to the barracks they read out a statement to the media 'to support troops by bringing them home'. No attempt was made to remove the protestors from the entrance gate but a army surveillance vehicle was present throughout the duration of the action. This was the first peace action of its kind at a military base in N Ireland. One of the partcipants, called Mr F. Fire said,"Men and women from Ulster are going to be killed and injured solely in order to allow America to extend it's military influence over the world's richest oil producing region." "The pro-war politicians tell us to 'stop undermining our troops' by which they mean 'stop disagreeing with pro-war politicians'. These same politicians are the ones placing the troops in danger of friendly fire, depleted Uranium and resistance from a population which will only see them as invaders."

Heidelberg, Germany: 2000 participants at demonstration at US headquarters in Heidelberg.

Greece: Protest & police repression at base of Suda After a massive march at USAF base at Suda (Crete) the police made extensive use of tear-exciting and asphyxiating gases. Yesterday evening, 1500 protestors camped outside the base (event has been organized by Greek Social Forum).

Aviano, Italy: 2000-3000 people at the demonstration at the US/NATO base there. Other actions were scheduled Saturday in Germany at the British Harewood barracks, Herford, the US base in Ramstein and the US Spinelli barracks, Mannheim.


Reclaim the Bases day 2 round up - Sunday 6 April

USAF Fairford + RAF Wellford - Protestors force police to abandon stop and search
PJHQ Northwood - Naked protest greets military and police naked aggression
RAF Mawgan - Weapons inspectors denied access RAF St Athan's Die In at the gates.
RAF Brawdy - Cycle for peace, don't peddle war.
RAF Molesworth - Seeds of peace planted
RAF Cottesmore - "Oppose this war, stop the next one" Wilton, land forces HQ- "British blood on Blair's hands" 9 actions at bases aroud the country.

Details below

USAF Fairford
07768 418960
Over a hundred anti war actvists at Fairford continued their sponsored stop and search with great success. The action, part of the ongoing anti war presence at the base, was designed to higlight the ridiculous repeated use of stop and search powers under Section 44 of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill at USAF Fairford. The embarassed police refrained from their regular practice of repeatedly stopping and searching people. Dave Cockcroft of Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors said, "Today our sponsored stop and search has shown that creative action to demonstrate to the British state how ridiculous it is being can bring about quick turnarounds in policy. We hope that continued creative anti war action can reverse our Government's ridiculous policy of brainlessly following the US regime, however dangerous, bloody and illegal their policies are. We shall certainly continue our sponsored stop and search. Today we have seen cluster bombs being loaded onto B52s, we are appalled that weapons which lead to the same dangers as illegal landmines are being flown out from British soil."

RAF Wellford
(Peter 07790 409339)
At RAF Wellford in Berkshire 15 activists took part in a sponsored stop and search like the one at Fairford. Unsually, the police were reluctant to stop and search activists more than once. "Usually, the police are very keen to stop and search protestors over and over again. Unusually, today, on the day of the first ever sponsored stop and search at Wellford they only stopped and searched us once. Even though the police have been reluctant to stop and search people today, it's very clear that they are using the anti terrorist legislation to discriminate against lawful protestors. They searched our group but they weren't intersted in other Sunday ramblers or the press photographers." "Wellford is the store for the bombs which are currently being dropped on baghdad and we need to increase the prssure on the base here to show our opposition."

PJHQ Northwood (Britain's military HQ, NW London)
About 180 protestors travelled to Northwood today for a day of anti war action at Britian's military HQ on Watford Road. 60 protestors were illegally detained at Northwood tube station and forced back onto the tube. Another 60 protestors were illegally detained in a pen outside the main gates to the base. 20 protestors staged a sit down in the road near the main gates, 6 were arrested. Police applied pressure points to protestors and left some bleeding after dragging them accross the street. 6 women stripped naked in protest at the naked aggression of the US and UK invasion of Iraq and against the naked aggression of the police, who refused to let protestors out of the pen because they may have caused crimninal damage. Despite having no clothes on the police still contended that the women may have had something about their person with which they could carry out criminal damage. At one point the police kidnapped 3 people walking around the streets near the base, drove them to the pen and forced them to join the people inside the pen. Up to 90 people will now file a formal complaint with the police for illegal detention. Based on legal advice received by people at the site, there is no legal basis for the police action. Sian Jones of anti-war group d10 said "A senior police officer has said that the confinement is to prevent a breach of the peace, but this is illegal unless there is a threat of violence from the people concerned. As this is a peaceful protest the only threat and use of violence has been by the police." "All over Britain, police are increasingly abusing their powers to prevent people protesting against this war. This in an extension of the war, to stamp out protest. While our Government is breaking international law in Iraq by attacking civilians with missiles, cluster bombs, tanks and machine guns, they are also breaking human rights law at home."

RAF Mawgan (near Newquay, Cornwall)
Sarah 01872 571038 120 anti war protestors, ranging in age from 2 to 80 protested against the war outside RAF Mawgan, near Newquay in Cornwall today. 20 weapons inspectors, clad in white suits requested entry for weapons inspections, one of whom was carrying a hypocrisy detector. Access was denied and the inspctors pointed out that the Iraqis never refused access for inspectors but have been bombed nonetheless. The protestors, including some nuns laid mementoes and a few dozen reed crosses at the entrance of the road to the base. Betty Levene of Cornwall Stop the War Coalition said "It is clear opposition to this war has not been deterred by it's onset. Many people now feel it is imperative to do all they can to end the war as soon as possible, by resisting it to the best of their ability and to make it quite clear to the UK and US Governments that we are not prepared to be complicit in what is, by all standards of international jurisprudence a crime punishable under international law." Betty Levene, member of Cornwall STWC.

RAF St. Athan's (Glamorgan, Wales)
( Joel 07901692296)
60 anti war protestors, including students from the USA, Israel, Malaysia, Ghana, Italy, Peru, Pakistan and Spain marched up to RAF St Athan's, singing peace songs. 47 bandaged, bloodied anti war activits staged a Die In for 30 minutes in front of the West Gate, blocking the gate. There were no arrests. The protestors delivered a letter to base commander demanding that the UK Government stop the use of cluster bombs and end the targetting of Iraqi water and electricity. (Water and electricity stopped in Baghdad earlier this week followiung US/ UK bombing, while International Red Cross staff have struggled to restore water to Basra since it was bombed over a week ago.) They attached flowers and messages to gates reading, "No war for oil, not in my name." and "Violence only leads to more violence."

RAF Brawdy ( Pembrokeshire, Wales)
(Margi 07833-684765/ 01437-769323 )
Cyclists took part in a 12 mile cycle ride to RAF Brawdy to hand in a petition against the war at the base. The action was organised by Pembrokeshire Peace Initiative (PPI). PPI co-ordinator Frederick Luckman said, "We've been approached by a number of people with loved ones in the Forces who support our campaign to stop the war and bring the troops home. Our message this Sunday is: 'Cycle for peace - don't peddle war'."

RAF Molesworth (Suffolk)
2-4pm (0116 270 5604/ Liz 07720 704680) 15 protestors, age range 5 mths- 74 years old, had a bonfire and lunch in the Peace Garden next to the base. The group, some of whom have been protesting at Molesworth for many years planted seeds and tied notices to the base reading "CND says no to war, yes to peace", "Iraq war is not in our name." and "RAF Molesworth, gathering information for the illegal and immoral war on Iraq" Anna Cheatham of Leicester CND said, "Today we have brought peace to Molesworth."

RAF Cottesmore (Suffolk)
(0116 220-3944/ 0789 0091716)
Thirty people staged a vigil in front of the main gates this afternoon, displaying banners reading, "Keep the service personnel safe, bring them home", "Starting a bad war does not make it good", "War is not the way to disarmament". "Oppose this war, stop the next one." and "DU kills good too." Jeff from Leicester CND said, "We're pleased to be here as witnesses for peace and show the service families here that there is another way, that this is the USA's war, not ours and Tony Blair should bring our troops home."

Wilton (Wiltshire)
A small demonstration was also held at Wilton (British land forces HQ) from 12-2pm (01722 325 692) attended by 12 adults and 4 children. They tied white ribbons on the fence and paper doves with peace messages on. "Peace", "British blood on Blair's hands", "Bring our troops home", "Troops home, aid in", "All lives are precious". "There are huge famines in Africa now, while tens of billions of dollars are being spent on invading Iraq, against worldwide opinion." Today actions were also planned at bases in the USA, Japan and Germany. Yesterday there were anti war actions at USAF Fairford, Portsmouth naval HQ, Fylingdales US Space Command, Devonport naval base, the Hollywood barracks in Co Down, at 3 US and UK bases in Germany and the US base in Aviano in Italy. Next weekend 11-13 April there will be actions at Aldermaston and Lakenheath. The actions are being organised by groups near the bases. The UK weekend of action was called by the D10 group, the international weekend was called by War Resisters International.

For more details see www.reclaimthebases.org.uk or call 0845 458 2564