Hundreds descend on Brize

IssueDecember 2006 - January 2007
News

On 2 December, hundreds of people from across the peace and anti-war movements descended on RAF Brize Norton.

The Oxfordshire base is used extensively as a transport hub for maintaining the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and, over the summer, campaigners established a peace camp outside after a US flight bound for Israel landed there. The base is also used to fly nuclear materials between AWE Aldermaston and US nuclear labs.

Naming the dead

Speakers at the event included most of the usual suspects, with Linsey German, Jeremy Corbyn, Kate Hudson and Caroline Lucas MEP, amongst others. Interesting deviations for the usual script included At Ease's Gwyn Gwyntopher who spoke about the right to conscientious objection in the British military, and Gulf War veteran Tony Flint who spoke about the effects of depleted uranium.

Flowers were laid at the gates while the names of the British and Iraqi war dead were read out.

The event was called by The Oxford, Swindon and Bristol Stop the War coalitions, Oxford and Swindon CND, and Faringdon Peace Group.

Topics: Anti-war action