Menwith Hill

This is somewhere to draft an article about the 4th July 2006 protest at Menwith Hill for http://sheffield.indymedia.org.uk/

Independence From America
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/icon/2006/07/344189.jpg

On 4th July 2006, Americian Independence Day, the annual Independence from America demonstration was held at NSA Menwith Hill [ Photos: 1 | 2 ]. It was a hot and sunny Tuesday and the 100 or so protestors were out numbered by the massive police presence, there was a circumnavigation of the expanding spy base. One woman was arrested and later released after a 'caution', see the report from Lindis and Annie for the full story.

The National Security Agency (NSA) base at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, is the biggest US spy base outside America and it plays a key role in the interception of electronic communications, missile defence and star wars. The Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases (CAAB) evolved out of the long campaign of protest at Menwith Hill, which have been going on since the 1950's, read on for links to reports of protests held there over the last few years.

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Earlier this year the first arrests under the new Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOPCA) took place at Menwith Hill, two women were arrested on Saturday 1st April 2006 within hours of the new Act being brought into force.

Every Tuesday night, from 6-8pm CAAB hold a protest outside the main gate at Menwith Hill, in Feburary 2005 a report from Tuesday vigil was posted to Indymedia.

2004 saw the Block the Base protest in which Yorkshire CND blocked 3 gates completely causing tailbacks for hours and massively disturbing the shift change-over.

In 2003 there wer 3 major protests at Menwith Hill, in March there was Foil the Base, Independance from America [Reports: 1 | 2 | 3 ] and in October there was the Keep Space for Peace demonstration.

More information about Menwith Hill: Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases (CAAB) | Yorkshire CND Menwith Hill site | Yorkshire Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) | Menwith Hill on Wikipedia

Reference

 * Callout: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2006/06/342926.html
 * Photos: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2006/07/344150.html | http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2006/07/344188.html
 * Report: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2006/07/344411.html

2006

 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/leedsbradford/2006/04/337456.html Peace demonstrators arrested under SOCPA - he first known arrests in England under Section 128 of the new Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOPCA) which makes trespass at a few handpicked military sites (mainly American military and nuclear sites in the UK) a criminal offence. The two women were arrested on Saturday 1st April 2006 within hours of the new Act being brought into force.

2005

 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2005/02/305359.html Report from a Tuesday vigil

Block the Base

 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2004/03/287070.html "BLOCK THE BASE" FEATURE: Mass blockade at Menwith Hill US base, Friday March 19th

Foil the base

 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2003/03/59007.html Photos
 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/03/59058.html Photos
 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2003/03/58991.html Report

Independance Day

 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2003/07/273720.html Menwith Hill Independance Day 2003 report
 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2003/07/273725.html Menwith Hill Independance Day 2003 report
 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/leedsbradford/2003/07/273830.html CAAB report - CAAB report of Independence from America day at Menwith Hill - Friday 4 July 2003

Keep Space for Peace

 * http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2003/10/278770.html report

Links

 * Yorkshire CND Menwith Hill site http://cndyorks.gn.apc.org/mhs/
 * Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases http://cndyorks.gn.apc.org/caab/
 * Menwith Hill Women's Peace Camp http://cndyorks.gn.apc.org/mhs/wpc/wpcmhs.htm
 * Wikipedia Menwith Hill page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menwith_Hill
 * July 4th 2006: The state of US democracy 230 years after the American Revolution http://wsws.org/articles/2006/jul2006/july-j04.shtml