Fairford 2004 - news archive

This is a poem written on Christmas Day in thanks to the people who kept watch over USAF Fairford (Gloucestershire, U.K) in the months leading up, and during, the bombing of Iraq from British soil. The Peacewatchers continue to monitor activity at Fairford as it is readied, ahead of schedule, for use by the U.S B2 Stealth Bomber.
THE B52s at FAIRFORD : "On 3rd and 4th March 2003, fourteen B52 bombers from USAF 23rd Bomb Squadron 'Barons' arrived at RAF/USAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK, to prepare for the aerial bombing of Iraq, which began on the 20th March 2003. On April 24th 2003, after 142 flights and 54 days, they left."
THE B2 AT FAIRFORD : "Fairford is in the Cotswolds, UK. RAF/USAF Fairford is one of only 3 forward bases (outside the US) for B2 Stealth bombers. The others are in Guam and Diego Garcia. In tests the B2 has released B61 and B83 mini-nuclear weapons, the first of a new generation.

plus latest news on activity at Fairford.

"Tony Hillier, Gate Ten supporter, receives industrious Brenda's fairfordpeacewatch regular e mail on Christmas Day 2004 and is immediately moved to scribble this with love and best wishes to all who believe and act on the fact that war is wrong."

"AMERICAN Stealth bombers could soon be a familiar sight in Swindon's skies. Two new, special climate controlled hangars have been dedicated at RAF Fairford, allowing the billion-dollar bombers to be maintained and operated from there. Basing the bombers at Fairford will save 16 hours flight time when it comes to reaching targets across the Atlantic from the aircraft's normal base in Missouri."

"Our trustworthy and truthful Home Secretary has finally set the record straight recording dangerous "armed anarchists" who were searched by Gloucestershire police under anti-terror legislation at RAF Fairford, which is used as a B52 base, last year. Pride of place in the armoury of the drug-crazed Trotskyite crusties, apparently, was an airborne terror weapon, a kite."

"As "Coachnap" takes another step, Tony Hillier pays poetic tribute to Anni and Lindis who work tirelessly for accountability of American Bases."

"The Court of Appeal ruled today that police violated the Human Rights Act when they illegally detained 120 protestors en route to a demonstration at RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire. Giving judgment, Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf stated that, 'the passengers were virtually prisoners on the coaches for the length of the journey…[W]e are not persuaded that there were no less intrusive possible alternative courses of action here.' "

"The ruling will be delivered at 10am this Wednesday. There will probably be a demo outside the royal courts of justice, but this is contingent on there being a hearing. apparently in some cases a ruling can be delivered without a hearing. keep an eye on the indywire and the coach case website for more details. The press release follows."

" The House of Lords (Judicial Appeals Committee) has granted leave to hear the appeal of the Fairford Five !!!!

The question as to whether or not the "Nuremberg principles" international criminal offence (re the execution of Goering, Keitel, von Ribentrop et al) of a crime against peace / international aggression is now also a crime under English Law for which individuals in this country may be held liable, including also those claiming government immunity (the Royal Prerogative) i.e. Bliar, Straw & Hoon et al is to be litigated before the highest court in the land.

To say this is the biggest peace protest case of the past 50 years is no overstatement !"

The full statement of Michael Hastings, Permanent Under-Secretary of State and Head of the Diplomatic Service, which was presented to the court 10 minutes before the Fairford Five's appeal started (but not accepted by the prosecution as evidence), in which he claims that if the court were to make a ruling on the legality of the invasion of Iraq, it would undermine national security and the new Iraqi government.

A copy of the statement from Michael Hastings Jay, Permanent Under-Secretary of State and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on the subject of why a UK court cannot rule on the legality of the action of the UK government in invading Iraq. It was due to be used as evidence in the appeal of the Fairford Five, but was not admitted in the end.

"The Fairford Five (as the media now like to call them) had their appeal in the High Court in London earlier this month which received considerable media coverage, from the Mirror to the Guardian newspapers. The result (the "judgment") was announced last Wednesday and is summarised in Margaret's press release below. It's all quite complex, but the defendants and their legal teams will be considering further appeals to the House of Lords etc."

"On Tuesday a B-52 bomber took off from Fairford to appear in the flying display of the Farnborough airshow in Surrey but missed that airfield altogether, passing over the much smaller Blackbushe airfield by mistake, some five miles to the northwest."

"This morning the Appeal Court judges hearing the appeal - Lord Justice Latham, Mr. Justice Gibbs and Judge Richard Brown - ruled it is 'not necessary' to consider the legality of the war in Iraq, for the accused to have a defence in law. There is no need, the judges say, even to debate whether an English court has the right to rule on government policy in the case. The judges find no “established rule” which defines the international crime of aggression by a government as being also a crime in English law. So the accused are unable to claim 'preventing the crime of aggression' as the basis of their defence. At trial, the defendants will still be able to rely on the defence of 'lawful excuse'. They will be able to argue from the Criminal Damage Act of 1971 that, in damaging support vehicles for B-52 bombers, or in breaking into Fairford air base to try and disable a plane, they were defending a “property, right or interest,” that they honestly believed was in need of protection."

"Top judges will rule on Wednesday on whether the legality of the Allies' attack on Iraq be used as a defence by peace protesters accused of sabotaging Fairford airbase."

"A senior Foreign Office official issued a dramatic warning this week, about possible consequences of a British court ruling on the legality of the Iraq war. In a tone best described as one of feverish consternation, Sir Michael Hastings Jay, Permanent Under- Secretary of State at the Foreign Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, warned that any court ruling on the Iraq war critical of UK government policy could damage relations with other governments, destabilise the new administration in Iraq, give aid and comfort to terrorists, and put the lives of British citizens in danger."

"The Foreign Office has asked appeal court judges to refrain from ruling on the legality of the war in Iraq for fear of giving comfort to terrorists, endangering the lives of Britons in Iraq, and harming foreign relations. It would be prejudicial to the national interest if the courts expressed a view which differed from the government's on the legal justification for the war, the permanent under secretary of state, Sir Michael Jay, said in a witness statement handed in 10 minutes before the hearing began on Tuesday."

"A senior Foreign Office official issued a dramatic warning this week, about possible consequences of a British court ruling on the legality of the Iraq war. In a tone best described as one of feverish consternation, Sir Michael Hastings Jay, Permanent Under- Secretary of State at the Foreign Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, warned that any court ruling on the Iraq war critical of UK government policy could damage relations with other governments, destabilise the new administration in Iraq, give aid and comfort to terrorists, and put the lives of British citizens in danger."

"A senior Foreign Office official issued a dramatic warning this week, about possible consequences of a British court ruling on the legality of the Iraq war. In a tone best described as one of feverish consternation, Sir Michael Hastings Jay, Permanent Under- Secretary of State at the Foreign Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, warned that any court ruling on the Iraq war critical of UK government policy could damage relations with other governments, destabilise the new administration in Iraq, give aid and comfort to terrorists, and put the lives of British citizens in danger. Sir Michael’s four-page signed statement was handed to a hearing of the Court of Appeal at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday, ten minutes before the hearing was due to start."

"Five peace activists arrested at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for trying to stop US bombers taking off in the week before the Iraq war were attempting to prevent what they believed would be a "crime of aggression", the court of appeal was told yesterday. Defence counsel James Lewis QC argued that their belief that the war was a "crime against peace" gave them a defence to the criminal charges against them."

"Five peace activists facing criminal charges over a protest at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire were today challenging a judge's pre-trial ruling that they cannot plead the illegality of the war in Iraq as part of their defence."

"FIVE peace protesters who claim they did not act illegally when they tried to sabotage American Air Force planes at RAF Fairford took their case to the High Court today. At the Royal Courts of Justice, lawyers for the five were arguing they had a lawful excuse for what they did ­ they were upholding international law and preventing war crimes in Iraq."

"Five protesters arrested at RAF Fairford on the eve of the Iraq war start their bid to win a landmark ruling at the appeal court today.

A full moon lit their way as they slipped down a back road and slit the chain-link fence with bolt cutters. They were in the bomb compound full of low loaders and trailers used for transporting the bombs to the planes. "We put sand in a couple of petrol tanks and cut the brake pipes on as many low loaders as we could reach." At one point, when they were under the low loaders, "we heard American voices and a pair of legs in camouflage appeared. We waited for a face to come down and find us". But the men went away. "We put labels on some of the vehicles saying 'out of order', 'illegal activity', 'do not use', so nobody would have an accident." "

"The B52 Two, Oxford residents Phil Pritchard and Toby Olditch, are in court again. Together with the defendants of two other anti war actions, we will appeal a decision made in Bristol Crown Court. We are appealing a ruling by Judge Grigson that prevents us from bringing the overall illegality of the attack on Iraq into our defences when they come to trial later in the year. All five defendants face up to ten years in prison for taking non-violent direct action to stop American B52 bombers from taking off from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire."

A billboard advertising the Royal International Air Tatoo 2004, subvertised with pictures of children running away from a napalm attack in Vietnam.

A number of billboards in Bristol advertising the air tattoo at Fairford have been subvertised - photos 1 and photos 2

"On Tuesday June 29th the Court of Appeal will begin hearing appeals from both Crown and defence lawyers in the cases of the “Fairford Five” - peace activists who undertook to damage US-owned military hardware at the air base at Fairford, Gloucestershire, in the weeks before the 2003 war on Iraq. High Court judge Mr. Justice Grigson, ruled in May [that] the basic principle of a British government’s decision to go to war, is a matter of “Crown Prerogative”- something a British domestic court cannot be allowed to decide. According to barrister Hugo Charlton, who is representing one of the defendants, any such ruling sets the British government above the law."

"So, over 14 months after the "offence" i was finally sentenced for the henious crime of daring to protest at RAF Fairford last year against the illegal and immoral war in iraq. After being convicted of aggravated trespass at Cirencester magstrates court in feburary this year i finally got to be sentenced in Cheltenham today. .. so 40 hours community service it is, well unless i win my appeal of course.... :) "

"In a surprise move, the judge allowed that "secondary effects" of government foreign policy could be open to examination in British courts - although not whether the war on Iraq was itself illegal. Whether "secondary effects" would include such controversial acts of war as the loading of cluster bombs onto the US planes at Fairford, remains to be seen. Lawyers for the Fairford Five have already said they will seek a new ruling from the Court of Appeal, on whether discussion of the lawfulness of the war is "non-justiciable." With an explicitness unusual in a High Court judgement, Mr. Justice Grigson gives leave to both Crown and Defence lawyers to challenge any of his rulings, as they see fit."

"A five-day hearing in the case of activists charged with conspiracy and damage to military equipment at Fairford Air Base before the war on Iraq ended today at Bristol Crown Court. The main question before the hearing was whether the matter of the legality of the war could be examined by the UK courts, as part of the defence in a criminal trial. Mr. Justice Grigson stated yesterday, "The hearing must proceed on the basis I will rule that the legality of the war is simply not justiciable in these courts." In this provisional ruling, the judge accepted the prosecution's case that British government foreign and military policy cannot be examined as part of a defence in English courts."

"The legality of the war in Iraq cannot be examined or ruled upon in English crown courts, a judge said today. The provisional ruling by Mr Justice Grigson came three days into a hearing at Bristol crown court to decide if five peace protesters can raise questions at their trial about the lawfulness of Britain's use of force in Iraq."

"Supporters of the 'Fairford 5' gathered outside the High Court in Bristol today at the start of a trial which may decide whether the Iraq war broke either international law, or British criminal law."

"Here are some images of day 1 at the trial of the fairford five."

"A high court judge will be asked to decide for the first time this week whether questions about the legality of the use of force by Britain and the US against Iraq can be raised in a criminal prosecution in the English courts. Two professors of international law will face each other across a Bristol courtroom for five days of legal argument raising novel points of law. The cases concern five peace activists facing trial for conspiring or attempting to stop US bombers taking off for Iraq in the days before the war was launched. "

Report from the first day of the trial of 5 activists for attempting to sabotage bombers and support equipment at Fairford before the invasion of Iraq. "At around 8.30 this morning around 100 supporters of the Fairford Five gathered in the centre of Bristol. They were here for the start of the trail that is expected to focus world attention on the legality of the war. Louise James, a solicitor for the defence, discussed the legal perspective, “The defence is arguing that they took action to prevent a loss of life from an illegal act.” She pointed out that the prosecution are trying to argue that a UK court has no jurisdiction over that the UK government may do in other parts of the world. “Whatever happens,” she says, “I think we will see an appeal. We will fight the case to the end.” "

"Monday 26th April sees the start of the long-awaited preliminary hearing in these Fairford cases. In five days of argument before Mr. Justice Grigson in Bristol Crown Court, issues related to the legality of last year’s war will be addressed. The key question to be addressed in arguments by the Q.Cs for the defence and the Crown Prosecution: Was the war on Iraq a war crime ? The answer to this question will determine what points the accused are permitted to raise in their defence. The Prosecution have said that if the court gives permission for the defence to talk about issues related to the Iraq war, they will immediately appeal."

Flyer advertising a party for peace in Oxford, and a leaflet explaining the background to the case being brought against Phil Pritchard and Toby Olditch for attempting to disarm B52 bombers at RAF Fairford. Their trial starts on 26th April.

"The Fairford Five a group of ordinary people whom, out of common humanity, did an extraordinary thing, by breaking into the US airbase at Fairford to try and stop the bombing of Iraq. Thier trial has taken on greater importance since the failure of the state to protect their claim the war was legal in the recent case of Catherine Gunn. One of the five, Josh Richards notes; "The prosecution’s main thrust at the moment is that any discussion on the legality of the war is not permissible as the court has no jurisdiction or authority to question either the government or military, that possible war crimes are non-justiciable in a UK court. i.e. the government is above the law ?!" Five days of legal wrangling begin on the 26th April. As the eyes of the world media turn to Bristol, we are asking you to be there to show your solidarity! "

"IRAQ WAR on TRIAL at HIGH COURT LEVEL in BRISTOL : 26th - 30th April. Please Join The Daily Vigils Outside Court (See Section 2).
The Next International Peace Vigil will be on 21st April to mark the anticipated release of Mordechai Vanunu, who was jailed on 30th Sept 1986 after exposing Israel's nuclear weapons programme. (Section 1).

1) Next International Peace Vigil : 21st April 2004
2) Iraq War On Trial Vigils : 26th - 30th April 2004
3) Please Support The Bristol Peace Vigil
4) Other Regional Peace Vigils "

"Anti-war protestors have today launched an appeal against a judgement which ruled that the police acted lawfully in turning them away from a demonstration at RAF Fairford last March. Although the judges ruled that the detention was unlawful, they also ruled that it was not unlawful for the police to turn the passengers away from the demonstration. The ruling as it stands means that any group of people could be turned away from a demonstration without evidence and based solely on the opinion of a senior police officer. Helen Wickham, one of the passengers, said, "To be sure of reaching a demonstration, I would have to be psychic and know what's going on in the mind of a senior police officer." "

"A district judge has found that the non-violent actions of the 'Marchwood 14' were illegal, but the Attorney General's advice - which could have proved the war on Iraq was illegal - was irrelevant to the case.

The 14 volunteers were charged with Aggravated Trespass after they occupied tanks at Marchwood military base in the run-up to war last year. The charge relates to obstructing or disrupting a 'lawful activity'. Our lawyers claimed the Attorney's advice could show that the Government thought war was illegal when the protest took place. But DJ Woollard ruled the advice should be kept secret.

Our legal team is preparing an appeal on the grounds that we were denied a fair trial. We are yet to be persuaded that the illegality of the war was irrelevant. "

"We are now putting the state on trial: They can't claim to have invaded Iraq for WMDs – because there don't seem to be any and it is looking increasingly apparent they knew this. They can't claim to have invaded Iraq to uphold the law, because it looks like they broke it themselves. They can't claim to have invaded Iraq out of concern for the Iraqi people, because many of the war advocates were the ones to helped Saddam stay in power in the 80s. They are running out of reasons. But they are only running out of reasons because the friction of resistance is wearing each paper-thin excuse away."

"THE Government has agreed to pay the bulk of the cost of policing RAF Fairford during the Iraq war according to Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown. Having provided the Gloucestershire Constabulary with special grants of £1.25 million, the Government has now approved a further grant of £5.5 million. It was originally estimated by the force that it would cost £4.2 million to police the airbase, but this quickly rose to £7.8 million. "

"Report of trial and verdict- Lindis Percy s.68 'Aggravated Trespass' Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

On 3 March 2003, eight B-52 bombers had arrived at the American base in preparation for the illegal invasion of Iraq. After four hours on base unseen and two of those hours spent sitting praying and meditating underneath a parked brightly flood lit B-52 bomber, she [Lindis] placed an upside US flag with the words - THE WORLD ROGUES - GWB and FRIENDS written on them.

Paul Clark (DJ) returned to court at 3 pm. In a grudging ruling with reprehensible comments against Lindis, he reluctantly found Lindis 'not guilty' of the offence as charged. He ruled that there was no evidence to suggest that that the placing of the US flag had caused any disruption. "

"Legal affairs analyst Jon Silverman examines whether a case against five peace activists charged with criminal damage could lead to the attorney general's advice to the government before the war in Iraq being revealed. "

"Five peace activists charged with criminal damage at RAF Fairford are pleading - like Katharine Gun, the former GCHQ translator whose prosecution under the Official Secrets Act for leaking a memo was thrown out last week - that they acted to prevent an illegal war. If Mr Justice Grigson agrees that they can invoke the two defences of necessity and prevention of crime, Tony Blair could face the embarrassing prospect of an ordinary jury of 12 citizens deciding whether or not the defendants had reasonable grounds for believing that the war was legal under international law."

"Four activists are on trial in Cirencester Magistrates Court on Monday for criminal damage and aggravated trespass. The alleged offences took place at Fairford on the 9th March 2003, days before the start of the bombing raids on Iraq, when the USAF were busy loading bombs onto their B-52's. "

"Protesters today won their high court battle over a police decision to detain three coachloads of peace activists on their way to a demonstration against the war on Iraq. Their lawyers had argued that the police action was "unjustified" and amounted to an abuse of power. The police had justified the forced return to London - a two-and-a-half hour journey without a toilet break - on the grounds that the passengers were "well armed" with two pairs of scissors, "five home-made shields", a cardboard tube and yacht distress flare.

The judge said: "I do not consider that the police action in preventing the coaches from proceeding to Fairford was unlawful." But the detention of the passengers while they were escorted back to London was judged a breach of their right to liberty under Article 5 of the human rights convention. Persons detained to prevent a breach of the peace should be released unconditionally "as soon as the immediate apprehension of breach of the peace is past", he said. "

"Press Release by John Halford, solicitor of the Fairford Coach Action: London. Today, Feb 19th, the provisional court made a landmark ruling, that the police had unlawfully breached the human rights of anti-war protester Jane Lapote. She was detained and prevented from attending a protest at RAF Fariford last March. The claimants enforced return on the coach to London was not lawful because

a) there was no immediately apprehended breach of the peace by her to justify even transitory detention.
b) detention on the coach for two and a half hours went far beyond anything which could conceivably constitute transitory detention such as I have described
c) even if there had been the circumstances and length of the detention on the coach were wholly disproportionate to the apprehended breach of the peace.

"Protesters have won their High Court battle over a police decision to hold them on a coach on their way to RAF Fairford for an anti-war demonstration. Lawyers for half the 120 passengers, stopped from protesting last March, accused Gloucestershire Police of acting unlawfully. The court ruled that police abused common law when they detained the demonstrators for more than two hours. Lord Justice May and Mr Justice Harrison, sitting in London, ruled that the protesters' detention and forced return could also not be justified under the European Convention on Human Rights. "

"LONDON (Reuters) - Police face a bill of nearly half a million pounds after a court ruled they acted unlawfully in stopping protesters from attending a demonstration against the Iraq war at an airbase being used by U.S. warplanes. The force was ordered to pay legal fees estimated at 100,000 pounds, as well as compensation of around 3,000 pounds each to the demonstrators. Jane Laporte, the protester who spearheaded the legal action, welcomed the verdict but said the group were considering launching an appeal after the judge ruled that their freedom of expression and the freedom to assemble had not been breached."

"During the war, the B-52s flying from RAF Fairford flew 122 combat sorties, a total of 1,600 flying hours in 33 days. They dropped 3.2 million pounds of munitions and 9 million leaflets."

"At 10am on Thursday 19 February 2004, the High Court will rule on the legality of police detaining 120 anti-war protestors for two-and-a-half hours without arrests." See http://www.fairfordcoachaction.org.uk/

"The US Airforce admits that they did not have sufficient Firefighters at RAF Fairford during the war last year, an issue they are now addressing through the creation of a new air base group that will include Fairford, under the command of U.S. Air Force Col. J.R. Smith. During the war, the B-52s flying from RAF Fairford flew 122 missions, a total of 1,600 flying hours in 33 days. They dropped 3.2 million pounds of munitions. (source Stars and Stripes) This is 1600 million tons of high explosives that were transported though Swindon roads by lorry from the arms base at RAF Wellsford on the M4 near Newbury. "

"Dear IWOT Supporters, You'll have noticed it's been about a month since our last Update when we reported on the debacle in Truro. Time has been slipping by and we have wondered if the State was getting jittery about trying these cases at all! If you've visited our website at www.fairfordpeacewatch.com/iraqwarontrial.html again you'll have seen we've had nothing new to add. But at long last............... a new judge has been appointed and he called everyone over to "his place" for a chat. Here's Margaret's report:"

"as b-52 bombers prepared for war in iraq the raf base at fairford in gloucestershire became the focus of several demonstrations organised by the umbrella group 'gwi' - gloucester weapons inspectors. the senior judges heard how the protest in march had been notified to the police in accordance with public order acts, and that the police had agreed to facilitate peaceful protest within the terms of section 12, 14 and 60. this meant that they had imposed certain conditions on the place and numbers of any procession and assembly, and that they had the right to stop and search people for any offensive weapons or dangerous instruments likely to cause harm to person or property. additionally, they had the right to remove items and seize property likely to be used to conceal identity. mr. fordham argued that the police did indeed have the right to stop and search the coaches based on intelligence gathered by the 'jic' or joint intelligence cell, and that they had the right to seize certain items, and that they even possibly had the right to detain cer tain individuals under public order and common laws. where they overstepped the law and infringed both common law and human rights law (enshrined in british law in october 2000), was in the blanket nature of their action and also the way evidence was used. various precedents were raised in order to establish the scope of the relevant public order acts and common laws. there were questions raised about the interpretation of article 5 of the human rights act where there is provision for detention in three s cenarios - in order to prevent a crime, in order to investigate a crime, and in order to prevent the escape of someone under suspicion of crime. in all cases, there should be an intent to bring the detainee in front of a competent authority, and michael f ordham argued that in this case there was no such intent. "

From the Scotsman and Enfield Independent

"The police were guilty of an “abuse of power” in barring three coachloads of protesters from a demonstration against the war on Iraq, the High Court heard today. Counsel for about 60 of the 120 passengers who were prevented from attending the vigil at RAF Fairford in March said that the action taken by Gloucestershire Police was unlawful. Michael Fordham said: “We submit both by reference to well established common law and also by reference to human rights law, as it now is in domestic law from October 2000, that that police action was an abuse of power. “We submit that the the police stepped well outside the legal parameters on their powers and that the action taken was unjustified.” "

"Welcome to the latest reclaimthebases.org.uk Column of the Week ! The best place to get information about the reclaimthebases.org.uk website ! Well, a few updates around Menwith Hill this week as I was adding the Block the Base event (next March) to the website. And of course a new base of the week, this time one you know all : Fairford.

Fairford , with it's long runway for B52s, it's hangars for B2s, Fairford the base that was used for bombing of Iraq (2003), Kosovo, Fairford the NATO base, Fairford which was the centre of attention of much protests, Fairford the base with the military air show Tattoo, Fairford which saw several disarmament actions...

... Fairford the hidden base. While Fairford is not a secret base at all - and is mentioned in many MOD documents - somehow, it is not on the RAF website with ALL the other RAF bases, and it is not on the USAF website either, along with the other USAF bases in Europe.

The latest MOD document in which Fairford is mentioned is entitled "Operations In Iraq : First Reflections", published in December 2003. This paper tells us that, during the conflict in Iraq, "it was essential that key enablers and infrastructure should remain free to sustain the campaign, particularly the Military Port at Marchwood and operational air bases such as RAF Fairford ." (Para 6.10)

Well, we know what 'essential' meant at Fairford : intimidation, repression, detention of anti-war protestors, with the help of anti-terror laws. One of those cases - the kidnapping by the police of three coaches of protestors - led to a judicial review, which is going to be heard by the High Court on 15-16 January 2004, with expected ruling by the 15th of February 2004. See http://www.fairfordcoachaction.org.uk for more info, support etc. "

"Three peace campaigners from Swindon have just returned from a major international conference in Egypt against the US occupation of Iraq and against globalization. Over 1,000 people attended the event, mainly from Egypt. Around 100 people went from Britain." Includes the text of a paper presented by Swindon Stop the War Coalition secretary Andy Newman on the subject of demonstrations at USAF Fairford and in London in the run-up to and the early days of the 2003 Iraq war.