CND, Stop the War Coalition, and members of Fairford Action* will hold a demonstration at RAF Fairford on Saturday, 25 April, over concerns the base is being used to commit war crimes. Protesters will call on the British government to end its support for the illegal US-Israeli aggression and shut down the US bases in Britain used to attack and support attacks on Iran.
The protest comes as Trump announces an extension of talks, whilst simultaneously escalating US military deployments to the region – with USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier, three destroyers and another 5,000 US troops head towards Iran. Donald Trump also threatened to conduct further war crimes against Iran if his demands aren’t met by destroying every bridge and every power plant. It follows a previous, thinly veiled threat by Trump to use nuclear weapons in Iran before the ceasefire came into effect.
RAF Fairford has been a critical base for US attacks on Iran. Before the ceasefire took place, huge long-range B-1, B-2, and B-52 bombers had been carrying out twice-daily bombing missions from the base, dropping 2,000lb bombs on Iran, before returning directly to Fairford.
Thousands of civilians have been killed in Iran and infrastructure destroyed by heavy bombers including bridges, hospitals, schools and residential areas. Other British bases that have also been used in the attacks on Iran including refuelling and logistical support from RAF Mildenhall, and the transit of F-35 and F-15 fighters, and A-10 ‘tank buster’ aircraft via RAF Lakenheath to bases in the Middle East. There is also mounting evidence that Lakenheath now hosts US B61-12 nuclear weapons.
Protest details
CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said:
“The British government is complicit in these illegal attacks on Iran. As targets are often assigned or updated during a bomber’s flight, the British government cannot confirm that these planes aren’t leaving to commit war crimes when they’re rolling down the runway.
While Trump makes nuclear threats and promises to attack civilian infrastructure if his demands aren’t met, Starmer has been shamefully silent, whilst enabling war crimes. Bases like RAF Fairford and RAF Lakenheath are the physical embodiment of Britain’s military alliance and nuclear subordination to the US. That’s why we need as many people as possible supporting our call to send the bombers home, shut down the bases, and kick out Trump’s nukes from Britain!”
Stop the War Coalition Convenor Lindsey German said:
“Trump and Netanyahu have been committing war crimes on a daily basis and while Keir Starmer claims the UK is not party to their illegal bombing of Iran, he has been allowing US bombers to fly from RAF Fairford and from Diego Garcia. This makes him directly complicit in these crimes, and that’s why we are calling for the biggest possible mobilisation outside the gates of Fairford on Saturday.
“Trump is a barbarian and the British government should say so and stop allowing its bases to be used by the US. The British people, the majority of whom oppose war on Iran, cannot and will not be made to pay for Trump’s wars. He must be driven out of office and Starmer alongside him, because he is in this up to his neck.”
Drone Wars UK Executive Director Chris Coles said:
“US air attacks on Iran have been blatantly unlawful and rightly condemned by many, not least the UN Secretary General. While British government ministers squirm on TV refusing to even express an opinion on the legality of these attacks, it’s absolutely right that we go to the gates of the US base at Fairford to say loud and clear: No more bombing of Iran!”
*Fairford Action comprises CND, Drone Wars UK, Oxfordshire Peace Campaign, and local activists.