SPOTLIGHT on Menwith Hill - MAP

Independence FROM America Day

SAT July 4th, 5pm: main gates Menwith Hill Base, HG3 2RF

with Clare Short, MP, Cabinet member in March 2003

and Roy Bailey, folk singer recently touring with Tony Benn.

The demonstration went well. About 80 people gathered from different corners of the country and abroad. Interestingly, it was softly policed compared to previous times. Many thanks to the North Yorkshire Chief Constable for that. No one died. No one was injured; no one was even arrested (unlike last time). I mention this because, of course, at the G20 protests earlier in the year, someone did die and it turned out the police were involved, despite denials.

There seemed to be a lot fewer police than previously and it was definitely "hands off" with them keeping their distance and with no effort to serve section 12 notices or the like where details of the demonstration can be changed without notice.

The usual tour of the base was held with Lindis filling us in on the details. Entertainment was provided by the illimitable Karl Dallas and our resident DJ. American cheerleader physicist and comedienne Lynda Williams entertained us too. Headlining, Clare Short, MP, spoke to the crowd and stayed late to talk to protesters. She spoke of issues of war and peace and democracy, of the base, and of the time she was in Cabinet when war was declared. She talked of the lies Prime Minister Tony Blair told to get war on Iraq and due to which she voted for the war. She is now an independent MP, since October 2006, in Ladywood, Birmingham. She encouraged people to vote tactically and work for a hung government - and therefore, she argued, better policies.

More than once, the Americans on the base were invited to come and join us. A Declaration of Independence FROM America was formally read out. A time in the future was commended to those gathered when Menwith Hill would once again be countryside of the Yorkshire Dales. - MD

While most Americans celebrate Independence Day, for us, Saturday 4th July is Independence Day FROM America Day. There will be a demo from 5pm at the main gate to Menwith Hill, nr, Harrogate, HG3 2RF.

Menwith Hill Station is the foremost American NSA intelligence gathering base. And it's near Harrogate, North Yorkshire. It intercepts all northern hemisphere communications in real time, analyses them, and forwards anything of interest to the NSA in Maryland for further analysis. It was commended in 1991 for its role in the Gulf War and so is used in offensive and war-fighting capacities. It doubtless has further "Echelon" uses collecting data on individuals and companies for American advantage.