Hundreds Protest RAF Fairford Use for US Strikes
Up to 200 people gathered at RAF Fairford, near the Wiltshire border, on Saturday for a demonstration organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). The base has been used by the United States Air Force (USAF) to deploy bombers since the conflict with Iran began on 28 February.
The US and Israel initiated wide-ranging strikes on Iran on 28 February, which resulted in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader and hundreds of civilians. On the first day of this conflict, a US-Israeli coalition specifically targeted an Iranian primary school, claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians, including 110 children.
The CND has called for an immediate cessation of the war in Iran and urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to prevent US President Donald Trump's continued use of British military facilities. The protest commenced around 12:00 BST from Fairford High Street, with campaigners marching towards RAF Fairford.
Protesters filled the streets carrying placards, many displaying images of children killed in the conflict. Matzi Ansari, 40, an Iranian-born London resident, expressed profound worry for her family in Tehran, stating, "Currently they're okay but... they're not sure what's happening to them tomorrow. They're under massive stress. They don't have a normal life, they can't go to work and school. [It's] a very horrible situation currently."
Lindsey German of the Stop the War Coalition, 74, from London, highlighted widespread public apprehension, saying, "We're saying to the British government they shouldn't allow the US to use these air bases. There's a lot of feeling about it. People are very frightened about it."
Gloucestershire Police cautioned residents to anticipate disruption throughout Saturday, with Gloucestershire Highways announcing approximately a dozen road closures between 11:00 and 17:00. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) affirmed that requests from foreign partners to use UK military bases are "considered on a case-by-case basis, with all operational support to allies assessed against legal requirements," but declined to comment on specific foreign nations' military operations due to operational security concerns.
