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CounterPunch
January
30, 2003
Meet the Gloucester
Weapons Inspectors
The
Protest at the Fairford Stealth Bomber Base
By DAVID WILSON
'For evil to triumph it is only necessary
for good men to do nothing.'
Edmund Burke 1729--1797
Fairford, Gloucestershire,
England. Fairford is the biggest
bomber base in Europe and has recently been upgraded to a forward
base for the B-2 Stealth bombers as well as the smaller B-1 and
older B-52 bombers. There are only three forward bases for the
Stealth Bombers, two on British territory, at Fairford and Diego
Garcia, the third is in Guam. These bombers are nuclear capable
and the B-2 has test dropped B61-11 nuclear bunker busters. The
B61-11 is the only US nuclear weapon still deployed outside US
borders and there is already a stockpile in this country.
A new group of peaceniks in the area
have recently set up the "Gloucester Weapons Inspectors"--an
open group of concerned citizens with no affiliation to any political
party or pressure group. They employ a refreshingly humorous
approach to the serious business of weapons inspection. Dressed
in white decontamination suits they carry inspection equipment
made from household appliances. Their sophisticated equipment
includes smart bomb intelligence testers, hypocrisy detectors
and collateral damage anticipation indicators.
Together with members of CND, revived
Greenham Common women, (who camped outside the Cruise Missile
bases in the 19801s), Buddhist monks, students, school children,
pensioners and others, 1,500 people marched last Sunday from
the picturesque village of Fairford to the death-organising airbase
which now fractures the quiet and beauty of this part of the
Cotswolds. I joined them to help a friend film the day's protest
for Indymedia.
Led by a large banner proclaiming "Stop
Taking The Peace" our arrival at the main gates to the base
soon became a celebration of life. There were musicians performing
with a PA powered by two clowns peddling a tandem cycle, and
topped with a small wheel that drove a water-mill that blew out
large bubbles; unicyclists, stilt-walkers, drummers and the white-suited
"arms inspectors". Two girls arrived peddling a mobile
brazier that was hardly needed as the weather on this January
day was as clement as the gathering. A papiermache Stealth bomber
had difficulty making its way up the country lane to the base;
its wings catching to the roadside bushes.
Protestors started festooning the outer
perimeter with antiwar messages, peace symbols, flowers, prayers
and prayer flags and less-than-adulatory messages to our leaders,
George and Tony. A group of women wove an enormous peace symbol
on the wire with straw and wool. When we left that evening the
main gate to the base and much of the surrounding perimeter fence
had been transformed, with Ministry of Defence notices lost under
a sea of life, colour and humour.
Meanwhile the "arms inspectors"
set off with their wire-cutters to break into the base and carry
out their own UNofficial inspections for Weapons of Mass Destruction.
40 got in and one we met had made it into one of the hangers
where he was chased by two policemen. After being tackled to
the ground, one of the PCs pulled him up, and gave him a hug.
"Well done," he said. "You're doing the right
thing".
To a group of smiling coppers I said,
"See you in London on 15th" (15 February is the day
for the big Stop the War demo) to which one replied, "I'd
be there with you, but I'm on duty that day." It was clear
to us all that the police, at least here in Gloucester, were
quite unlike anything experienced by us Londoners with the Metropolitian
Police (not renowned for their smiles) . The most hostile remarks
we got were, "Can't give you my private opinion now, not
until dinner time."
We interviewed school children and grannies,
Greenham Common veterans and students, even an ex-RAF/BA pilot
wearing a sign saying "Pilots Against the War", who
told us that he had 40 volunteers prepared to fly over Fairford.
As we set off along the perimeter road a BMW drew up; its occupants
dressed as though they were looking for the nearest Countryside
Alliance demo and the epitome of Blair1s much beloved "Middle
England". They removed their hand-made anti-war posters
from the boot and strode briskly over to the main gates. Set
to one side were The Stroud Peace Group serving free teas. They
had clearly brought their trestle table and tea urns from the
village hall.
And the bombers have not yet arrived
The organisers expect that each Sunday will see an increase in
the numbers of protestors. Take a day out in the country and
help the anti-war struggle--and remember to take your wire-cutters.
David Wilson
can be reached at: wilson@loe.uk.net
Information on Fairford and the protests
Contacts
Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors--email:
info@gwi.org.uk
website: www.gwi.org.uk
If you are able to access video images
check out the Fairford video on:
http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=51601&group=webcast
http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=51601&group=webcast
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