Protesters gathered outside the gates of an RAF station yesterday to oppose plans to fly US drones from the base.
Demonstrators led by the Oxford Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Drone Wars, and Oxfordshire Peace Campaign massed outside the main gates of RAF Fairford at 1pm on Saturday, January 25, to protest against plans to fly US Global Hawk drones from the station.
According to the CND, the US plan to operate the RQ-4 Global Hawk drones from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire as part of NATO’s Agile Combat Employment concept, which argues key military aircraft should be allowed to operate from different bases to make it more difficult for adversaries to carry out pre-emptive strikes.
The campaign said that according to documents submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority, the working assumption is that the drones will fly two to three times a week when they are at the base.
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CND general secretary Sophie Bolt said: “The Global Hawk is part of the US spying apparatus and has been for decades.
“Whether its US nuclear weapons stationed at RAF Lakenheath or drone flights from RAF Fairford, these British bases are critical hubs for the US war-fighting machine.
“With Donald Trump back in power, this is even more alarming.
“Instead of hiding behind bogus arguments of national security, the British Government should be held accountable for the war crimes being perpetrated from these bases.”
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About the author
Toby is a senior reporter who has a particular interest in covering planning and local government.
He joined in September 2024 having been a reporter at the Hampshire Chronicle for three years.
Toby studied at the University of Brighton and can be found on X through the handle @JournoToby
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