Interfaith Peace Walk Towards a Nuclear Free Future
Dublin to London, April-June - 2007
Day 53 - July 4th, 2007: Otley to Menwith Hill
|
Home Day Log Index Photo Albums |
The walk participated in the annual “Independence from America Day” action at RAF Menwith Hill and so began the long winding uphill walk from Otley early in the morning.
MENWITH HILL, near Harrogate North Yorkshire is the world’s largest spy base and integral to US plans to fight in and through space. It is run by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the USA, although in 1996 it became officially known as RAF Menwith Hill. As American people know very little about the NSA and even less about Menwith Hill it was really great to have many people from the USA walking into the Base to learn more about what is going on but more importantly to walk in solidarity with the local peoples’ campaign to close the base. 
As we walked up and over the hill, Hattie and I drummed and chanted, and puffed and panted soon stopping in our tracks as we rounded the corner in the misty distance an eery sight of giant golfballs stood in our view. We had a clear view of nearly all of the 30 or so ‘golfballs’ to give us a sense of the massive telecommunications scale this base is operating at. The radomes as they are called are like giant golfballs that cover the satellite dish that is used for international telecommunications, including private telephone calls, faxes and emails intercepted from the U.K, Middle-East, North Africa and the former Soviet Union.
Menwith Hill is integral part of the US star wars plans playing a crucial role in any global conflict. It is now able to transmit and receive communications and photographic images from space. This eery place reminded me of what was happening in Australia with Pine Gap and Australia’s close alliance with the US even further entrenched with the building of a new U.S Military Communications Base at Geradlton in Western Australia.
United States plans to move full-speed ahead on National Missile Defence (NMD) or ‘Star Wars’ developing a system to intercept a limited number of ballistic missiles targeted on the US. However, NMD is not a benign, defensive umbrella it is a controversial space battle system to control space for the US alone. 
From the beginning many people have worked to close the base. There have been vigils, demonstrations, peace camps, non-violent blockades and actions inside the base, letters to the press and radio and t.v coverage. As Yorkshire CND said “We will continue to protest against Menwith Hill’s lack of accountability, its promotion of the arms trade and war, its violation of local, national and international law, its abuse of democracy and civil liberties, and its crucial role in US plans to dominate earth and space with nuclear and military technology”. For more information on Yorkshire CND check out their website www.yorkshirecnd.org.uk
Thanks to the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases (CAAB) for putting on a great day, especially to Lindis Percy who made sure the day was peaceful and without incident., and for the endless & tireless work in monitoring the base and challenging its development over many years. It is with this local knowledge that we learn more about what is going on so that we can continue raising awareness and educating people about what is happening globally. For more information on CAAB check out www.caab.org.uk 
The only disappointing part of the day was the police had issued a Section 12 – under new laws restricting the annual informative walk round the base led by Dave Webb & Lindis Percy, which we had all been looking forward to. The heavy police presence held a tight barrier to stop all of the 150 (approx) activists to go any further once we had walked nearer to a main road. The most important part of the day for me was seeing and hearing Annie Rainbow - a very long time campaigner against the base and instrumental part of the knowledge of Menwith Hill - when she pleaded with the police to let her through in her wheel chair to honor and remember her son who was killed in Iraq last year. Tears and tears dropped to the ground as we circled in strength and solidarity.
|
|
|
|
|
PeacehqHome |
|
|
FootPrints For Peace Home |
Feedback |
|
Help |
 Jeff |
 Tyler |
 Larry |
 Jim |
 Marcus |
 Jason |
 K-A |
 Ray |
|
|