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INDEPENDENCE FROM AMERICA DAY
4 July 2002
organised by the
CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AMERICAN BASES (CAAB) - supported by Yorkshire CND
There has been a demonstration on 4 July at Menwith Hill for many years - stretching back to the 1980's. This year, for the first time, the base had moved
their own 'celebrations' from the actual 4 July Independence Day to the Saturday before. We were told that it had been 'a wash-out and a rather miserable event' due to
heavy rain and lack of people. There were three speakers: Lynn Jones - a Labour MP who has asked many Parliamentary Questions about Star Wars, Mark Thomas - political satirist and comedian, and Caroline Lucas - Green Member of the European Parliament. Grateful thanks to them for their caring words especially to Caroline who spoke so passionately and movingly ( speech reproduced here ) and had flown in from Strasbourg that morning and come straight up from London to be with us. All three were inspiring in what they said. We had the usual walk around the base with a police car with blue flashing lights at the front and the back - stopping at various points to talk about the history of the base, the long campaign of protest since the American Visiting Forces and Agencies arrived in 1952, and the role of Menwith Hill in the American Missile Defense (Offense) System. At one point some people, including Mark Thomas, climbed over a farmer's gate and walked on the land - a criminal offence under the Military Land Act Byelaws but no-one was arrested for this or for Aggravated Trespass, just escorted out by the Ministry of Defence police Agency. Groups of demonstrators, some with banners, also walked on one of the Public Footpaths which straddle the base. We returned to the Main entrance to Menwith Hill and heard more inspiring words from Mark Thomas and Caroline Lucas. Wonderful food was provided by Veggies of Nottingham. Anni, Lindis and Laura were still at Menwith Hill when the flag lowering ceremony took place - a party of US military solemnly lowering the RAF ensign and the US flag. With the help of a megaphone Lindis kept up a commentary and protest (making it clear we were not anti American people but anti American foreign and military policies) while Anni went into the base and sat just in front of the barrier with an upside down US flag attached to her wheelchair.(Lindis was prevented from joining her because of her permanent injunction.) We let off the balloons - each sending one into space with a message tied on. We spent a short time gently obstructing cars coming out of the base by walking backwards and forwards across the entrance holding the US flags with STOP STAR WARS written on them. The rains came just as we set off home. It was a good (and dry!) day. There was coverage the local radio and TV stations - the TV station reported 'hundreds of protesters demonstrate at US military base' and there have been several articles in the press. The next major demonstration organised by CAAB at NSA Menwith Hill will be on Saturday 12 October 2002 - part of an International week of protest called for by the Global Network Against Nuclear Weapons and Power in Space. Please join us if you can! The weekly protest on Tuesday evenings (7-9pm) continues at the Main entrance to NSA Menwith Hill - again, please join us if you can.
(See original call to action )
4 July 2002 SEPTEMBER 11 showed the futility of a "Son of Star Wars" missile defence shield to protect the United States, a Labour MP claimed yesterday. Lynne Jones was speaking at an Independence from America demonstration outside the United States signals intelligence station at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, which has a key role in President George W. Bush's plans. The Birmingham Selly Oak MP said: "After September 11 the real threat does not lie with a country developing long-range ballistic missiles. They know that such weapons would be immediately traceable. "The threat is going to be from more conventional types of weapons and terrorist atrocities such as those we saw on September 11. The billions of dollars being wasted on missile defence will do nothing to combat that threat." New radomes are under construction at Menwith Hill to track the satellites to be used in the Space Based Infra Red System known as Son of Star Wars. The North Yorkshire base will be the system's European Ground Relay Station. Ms Jones said: "If the United States government really wanted to make the world a safer place they should be planning to spend the billions that Star Wars will cost on global programmes to reduce conflict in the world." She said that it was a matter of serious concern that if Tony Blair co-operated with President Bush in his missile defence programme then Britain would be more likely to become a target for future attack. "United States reliance on the use of bases at Fylingdales (on the North York Moors) and Menwith Hill gives our Government influence on US policy. This influence should be used to persuade President Bush to abandon national missile defence." Since September 11 armed Ministry of Defence police and a firearms unit from North Yorkshire Police have been guarding Menwith Hill. Weapons were on view yesterday but MoD police also issued their own letter to the 100 demonstrators warning them to protest peacefully or risk arrest. The demonstration passed off peacefully.
4 July 2002
PEACE campaigners today gathered at a North Yorkshire military base to demand an Independence Day for Britain. TV satirist Mark Thomas, Green MEP Caroline Lucas and Labour member Lynne Joans joined hundreds at the US spy base at Menwith Hill. The base was guarded by increased security as the first July 4 since the September 11 atrocities was marked. The protesters read a declaration demanding freedom from the US on the day America celebrates its separation from Britain. Menwith Hill is at the centre of US president's George Bush's controversial plans for a Son of Star Wars Project, a missile defence system which will be capable of shooting attacking missiles from the sky. But opponents - including the Evening Press, which launched a campaign against the proposals - believe it could make North Yorkshire a prominent military target for enemies of the US. Mark Thomas said: "I feel strongly enough about this for me to get out of bed at 6am today and travel here. "Menwith Hill would play a role in Star Wars, the system would be expensive, it would encourage development of missiles and it would be incredibly dangerous for North Yorkshire as well as the rest of the world. It is a huge issue." In one of Mr Thomas's programmes, he discovered the skies above Menwith Hill were not covered by a no-fly zone. He flew a hot air balloon over the base to show the risks its existence created. He said today: "What is there to stop al-Qaida doing the same? They had no legal powers to stop me." Dr Lucas said: "The US Star Wars project is an horrific threat to peace, stability and the environment, not just here on earth but in space too." Updated: 14:46 Thursday, July 04, 2002
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