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27 May 2003 |
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We hope people will come in pre-formed affinity groups and spend the day trying to get into Lakenheath Airbase to sit (or chain themselves, or dance, or play
music, or play badminton) on the runway; hang banners or peace cranes; chain themselves to aircraft; plant seeds etc... Lakenheath in Suffolk is the primary U.S. tactical airbase in Europe. It has about 30 nuclear weapons deployed there (although the authorities refuse to deny or confirm their existence). Apart from those at Faslane, these are the only nuclear weapons in Britain and they are totally under U.S. control, as is the whole base. The Lakenheath nuclear weapons form part of NATO's arsenal - and NATO has a first strike policy. We believe that some of these nuclear weapons were flown out to Diego Garcia during the build up to the war on Iraq. Certainly Lakenheath aircraft played an active part in the war and in the bombing of Iraq which took place over the previous 10 years. Since the base and police are bound to know that something is planned for the day, we think autonomous groups will be more effective and successful than if everyone acts together. We hope that affinity groups will make a plan in advance, deciding how and where they intend to get into the base so they have the appropriate tools with them and know what they want to do once they are in. That they will provide their own transport, driver (could this person help with pickups from police stations later in the day?) and observers on the day. Please tell L.A.G.by 20th May if you and/or a group intend to come and take part (0116 247 0121). Lakenheath Action Group will provide
We are asking groups and individuals to agree to the following groundrules:
Please be aware that people going on base may be handled roughly. Since the start of April 2003 Lakenheath (along with Mildenhall, Fairford and Molesworth) has
been guarded by the U.S. National Guard (the U.S. equivalent of the Territorial Army here). Prior to that there had been something along the lines of an unwritten agreement that US military
personnel would not touch peace protestors. Since they have arrived this seems to have changed. Protestors on base at Mildenhall have been rugby tackled, sat on and had their arms wrenched
behind their backs by U.S. personnel even when they have already been sitting on the ground in a completely nonthreatening way. We don't know if this is because this is because there is a
war on, because the National Guard don't yet know the rules or because the rules have changed but we suspect the latter. No one has been badly hurt but bruises do seem likely.
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