Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors

ANTI WAR PROTESTS AT USAF FAIRFORD

16/7 Casualty of War - 8 weeks of counter-terrorism in rural England Liberty, GWI and Berks CIA issue a dossier of our own relating the experiences of protesting at Fairford during the period when, for the first time in the UK, section 44 Terrorism Act 2000 stop and search powers were used. Press release see Liberty website - also: Can you spot the difference (Gloucestershire poilce can't) - a liberty leaflet and Casualty of War the full report.

"An investigation by human rights group Liberty into the policing of peace demonstrations at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, during the recent invasion of Iraq has revealed fundamental breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights."

4th JULY - A PARTY FOR INDEPENDENCE FROM AMERICA AND "GATECRASHER'S STROLL": Venue: Meet up at the main car park at the top of the main street in Fairford town Gloucestershire, Stroll to Main Entrance to USAF Fairford, and along southern perimeter. Date and time: Friday 4 July 2003 - 3pm onwards
for more information see IndyMedia posting (note GWI are not the organisers of this event). -
a successful event for reports see: Fairford Peace Watch

3/5 G10 Camp Packs Up: The camp is gone but the spirit lives on - to find out about further protest at Fairford check out the new website www.fairfordpeacewatch.com

1/5 G10 camp update: The G10 camp has decided to pack up (for now). The site will be cleared on Saturday 3rd May - campers & supporters please come and help... & bring picnic lunch to share. Note: this will be the 2 month birthday for G10... the Fairford spirit will continue and further actions are already being planned.

30/4 Fairford Coach Kidnapping Update: the group following through on this say "We now have over 60 former coach passengers seeking advice on a possible group action through Bindmans and Partners. In addition, some passengers are pursuing separate individual civil cases against the police for the police actions towards coach passengers." Read all about it on the new website: www.fairfordcoachaction.org.uk

28/4 Update: Good news! The B-52's have gone back to the US (on 24th/25th). Welford camp has voluntarily packed up. The G10 Fairford camp is still in place pending a decision at the meeting at G10 on Weds 30th at 7.30pm... all campers and supporters are invited to attend. Work continues on legal actions and supporting those due to appear in court on various (often spurious) charges.

18/4 Legal actions launched: You can help - After weeks of harrassment from police there is sufficient evidence to mount legal proceedings. This is important for our ability to protest freely in the future. The use of the terrorism act and section 44 stop and search powers could be used more widely to deter or prevent legitimate protest. You can help by continuing to fill in and send us incident monitoring forms. If you've been stopped from visiting the camp, prevented from delivering supplies or hassled by police whilst trying to protest peacefully at Fairford we want to hear from you.

18/4 B-52s Still Flying, Bomb Convoys Still Rolling: Despite the supposed end of the war there have been 4 bomb convoys spotted this week by Welford watch (further info here) - the latest on Thursday 17th. The B-52's are still flying armed, with 3 leaving Fairford on Thursday 17th. Some are returning armed but others have clearly dropped their bombs.
Please continue to support the camps (contact numbers provided) - this website is on holiday until 26th April during this period USAF Fairford protest updates will be posted on Bristol IndyMedia.

12/4 Cluster Bombing the 'liberated' people of Iraq - over the past four days there have been 26 B-52 flights most carrying cluster bombs and 4 bomb convoys from Welford.
The use of cluster bombs has been widely reported during this conflict - click for cluster bomb news - specific articles: Grisly Results of U.S. Cluster Bombs, U.S. Use of Clusters in Baghdad Condemned

10/4 Latest News: most successful bomb convoy stop yet + pics
Also read about earlier convoy stops... March 25th March Bomb Convoy Stopped by Activist Blockade... - this really happened we've spoken to those involved - no one was arrested. Here's an eye witness report. Second convoy stop - 1st April - it happened again... see reports 1 & 2

8,12,15, 18/4 G10 & Welford Peace Camp updates - life goes on... for the latest info on the camps and how to support read on...

4/4 G10 Peace Camp under police sanctions - help break the sanctions...

4/4 Before coming to Fairford on 5/6th April please read our legal and civil liberties watch pages.

3/4 Police place section 12 & 14 Public Order Act restrictions on Reclaim The Bases at Fairford read more...

Reclaim the Bases 5/6th April - now disorganised as follows - indypendent weapons inspections and the worlds first sponsored STOP & SEARCH - FIND OUT MORE...
NEW - what to look for - read Bomb spotting for beginners

New Info 28/3: G10 Peace Camp update - how to support the camp

Urgent: Fairford Coach Kidnapping Legal Action...
A group legal action is now being sought by passengers from the London coaches which were stopped, searched outside of Fairford and returned to London by police on the 22nd of March. The group is using the legal services of Bindmans and Partners. Anyone who was a passenger during the coachnapping should email Jesse Schust on: fairfordcoachproblem@yahoo.co.uk

IraqDirect: News coming direct from Iraq from indypendent journalists - read Fisk in the Independent, Electronic Iraq, Jo Wilding at Wildfire and Jeremy Scahill's IraqJournal

Support the peace prisoners: information on how to support or visit those detained at her majesties pleasure for attempting and in some cases succeeding in damaging the war machine.

G10 Peace Camp
G10 Peace Camp still flies the flag. Despite inconsitent and sometimes downright bizarre policing the camp still persists and plans to stay around until as long as there are bombers at Fairford.

There are usually around 10 or so people on site with more some nights and at weekends.
Various reports about the camp - 1, 2, 3, 4.

please note: the camp at the Axe and Compass is now closed but you can still pop in for a friendly welcome and a good pint.

Future Actions
Nothing Planned - so DIY
Planned demos at Fairford are difficult because policing prevents protestors from going where they want and doing what they'd like to do (peacefully of course).
Last two 'official' demos were constrained by Public Order Act section 12/14 orders - we suggest you just get on down to Fairford and tell those Yanks to GO HOME!

Womens Actions
The Grannies, daughters and grand-daughters are still planning stuff.
For more info email: tabitha@gwi.org.uk or nuala@gwi.org.uk with your email address or phone number - or call Nuala - 01865-749459

Flowers To Fairford
Sat 22nd March 2003

this was an amazing day - a powerful and peaceful protest with extraordinary policing... thanks to everyone who made it to Fairford and to those who were turned away, thanks for trying.

Read more... see the pics... smell the flowers... Photos : 1, 2, 3, 4 Reports : 1, 2, 3, 4 : video 1 - read the Fairford village website report
more reports "FAIRFORD: CIVIL LIBERTIES REMOVED " on uk.indymedia.org central column. National press:
Sunday Independent article by Deborah Orr, Guardian article by John Vidal and Tania Branigan

Intelligence Reports

Here's all the latest info on Fairford, how to get there what's going down and other important information (coming soon).

Legal Support

We're working with lawyers and journalists to compile as complete a history as possible of the multitude of searches, arrests, unarrests and possible violations of police powers. Click here to find out what to report and who to report to.