We blockaded vehicles coming out of the base for an hour.  We used the US flag with STOP STAR WARS written on it and with a placard saying - STOP STAR WARS - INTERCEPT THE TEST.  Despite being warned by the Ministry of Defence Police that if this continued arrests would be made - there were no arrests and we continued to demonstrate by blockading the vehicles.

NSA Menwith Hill (with Fylingdales) is crucial to the AMD system. It is the European Ground Relay Station for the Space Based Infra Red System (SBIRS).  Two SBIRS radomes are already built.

INFORMATION

The case concerning the use of the US flag in protest is to be tested in the High Court London on 19 December 2001. 

Lindis Percy was successful in the court this year and was found 'not guilty' under a Public Order offence at NSA Menwith Hill when she protested using the US flag with STOP STAR WARS on.  However Lindis was convicted of an almost identical action at the Deep Space and Near Space Tracking Facility at the US base at Feltwell. It is this conviction that is to be tested in the High Court on 19 December.

The case is important because it is a legal clash between freedom of expression under the Human Rights Act (now incorporated into UK law) and public order.