3rd February 2003. RAF Lakenheath has been closed in an act of peaceful protest against war. Six peace activists from Cambridge blockaded the back entrance to the base; they have all been arrested and are being taken to Mildenhall police station. The six succeeded in severely restricting access to the base for almost an hour. Earlier this morning, protesters arrived to discover that the mere threat of a blockade of the main gate had convinced the Ministry of Defence Police to close the front gate, effectively shutting down the base from this morning onwards.
At the same time, 6 ‘weapons inspectors’ have entered the base, and are currently searching for American-controlled weapons of mass destruction. They are expected to submit a report later today, detailing the findings of their search – although we expect that the American authorities will not allow the results to be published even within the UN Security Council. This continues the recent series of Citizens’ Inspections, which have taken place across the UK and much of Europe. Meanwhile, the protests at the front gate are continuing.
On hearing of these actions, CamSAW supporter Josh Robinson said ‘Actions like these are so important for the anti-war movement. The government must be beginning to realise that as long as they continue to threaten to bomb the innocent, the civil disobedience will continue. We are expecting over a million people on the national demonstration on February 15th – we are building a mass movement, all the time making it clear that this war is Not in Our Names.’