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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Greenpeace Invades US Spy Base For Second Day |
Current rating: 0 |
by Greenpeace
(No verified email address)
Phone: mobile 07801 212993, office 0207 |
05 Jul 2001
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MENWITH HILLS, UK - July 4 - Greenpeace activists have invaded a US spy base in North Yorkshire in the UK for a second day running. |
20 protesters again breached security at the Menwith Hills (1) site at 06:45 am this morning (local time).
14 of the activists were stopped soon after entering the base, but six members of the group are still inside, 4 have started climbing a radio mast. They're joining a New Zealand activist who spent the night occupying another radio mast on the base. The second day of action was set to coincide with 4th of July celebrations in America.
"We want to send a clear message to George Bush that his Star Wars program is not welcome here," said Greenpeace International Disarmament campaigner William Peden, "The Menwith Hills base is described as the eyes and ears of the program, and we want everyone to see and hear our objections". The best Independence Day celebration would be to be liberated from the threat of a new nuclear arms race, a threat that will become very real if George Bush pursues Star Wars," Peden added.
The Star Wars program is reliant upon the use of the listening station at Menwith Hills in North Yorkshire in the UK as well as a second nearby early warning radar base at Fylingdales and another similar facility at Thule in Greenland.
One of the activists involved in this morning's protest is from Denmark.
"We believe Britain and Denmark should join together to stop Star Wars. Both our Prime Ministers should send a clear message today that Star Wars is not wanted. It can be stopped and it should be stopped," said Anne Marie Rasmussen
Yesterday over a hundred protesters breached security at the base and spent the day occupying a water tower and adjacent roof top. The last of those protesters were removed just a few hours ago.
Notes:
1) The Menwith Hill base is rented from the British government by the US National Security Agency (NSA) and is home to over 1,000 American NSA personnel. It is primarily a listening base, which intercepts international phone , fax and email communications. However it also houses two 'golf ball' radomes that are described as.the "eyes and ears" the planned Star Wars system ). Two SBIRS (Space Based Infrared System) Radomes have been constructed in the Menwith Hill complex. If the UK government give the go ahead they will be used as a ground relay station to transmit information on missile location and trajectory back to the US to assist with targetting for ground, sea, air and space based interceptors.
For a background briefing on Greenpeace's international campaign to Stop Star Wars visit: |
See also:
http://www.stopstarwars.org
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Update: US spy base protest ends |
by via BBC
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
05 Jul 2001
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Wednesday, 4 July, 2001, 22:49 GMT 23:49 UK
US spy base protest ends
Greenpeace protesters have ended a demonstration at a defence site in north Yorkshire after 15 hours. The final two protesters came down from a radio mast at the Menwith Hill defence site on Wednesday night after a group broke into it for the second time in two days.
Military police had evicted up to 150 protesters from the site near Harrogate, north Yorkshire, 24 hours after they broke in on Tuesday morning.
But 20 burst back in through the perimeter fence on Wednesday, to join the one protester left behind.
Most were immediately rugby-tackled and ejected by police, but three managed to climb up radio masts to join "Ricko" from New Zealand.
Ricko - real name Richard Carlson, 29, who now lives in London - was later brought out by police.
He said he had agreed to come down because he had been growing dehydrated, and felt his point had been made.
Another protester also came down from her mast after three hours.
Two protesters remained at the site, but voluntarily surrendered to MoD police at 2210BST on Wednesday.
Four arrests have been made, a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokeswoman said, for civil offences such as criminal damage.
She stressed that the protesters had not been "offensive".
Mission impossible
The environmental activists were protesting against the site's possible use in the planned American missile defence system "Son of Star Wars".
Activists from another group, the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases, staged another protest on Wednesday.
They were driving a convoy of about a dozen vehicles from Menwith Hill to the similar site at Fylingdales, about 90 miles away, as part of an annual 4 July protest against American militarisation.
The MoD has refused to comment on the ease with which the activists got into the site - a radar and communications station shared between the RAF and the US military.
Greenpeace said some of its protesters had simply walked through the main gate on Tuesday - and on Wednesday they had climbed through a hole in the fence made the previous day.
Some of them played the Mission Impossible theme tune while others dressed as missiles and carried flags emblazoned with the message "Star Wars Starts Wars".
Other teams scaled the three-metre perimeter fence, topped with razor wire, to get in.
'No to UK involvement'
The proposed "Son of Star Wars" - or National Missile Defence - system is intended to protect the US and its allies from long-range bomb attacks, by using interceptor missiles.
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he has taken no decision on whether to back the project - but his spokesman has signalled broad support.
But there is concern that the system is flawed, would break treaties with Russia, and could trigger a nuclear arms race.
Greenpeace believes Menwith Hill would be used to transmit information on missile location and trajectory back to the US, to help with targeting for interceptor missiles.
Greenpeace UK executive director Stephen Tindale called on Mr Blair to turn down US requests to use the site, or the similar base at Fylingdales.
"We urge Mr Blair not to kowtow to Bush on such a crucial issue. He must say no to UK involvement," Mr Tindale said.
He said the system was dangerous, destabilising, and a "disaster".
news.bbc.co.uk |
