14 arrests at RAF Lakenheath after main gates shut down for 6 hours

14 peace campaigners were arrested during a 6 hour blockade of the main gates at RAF Lakenheath on 7 April. RAF Lakenheath is used exclusively by the United States Air Force and is sending fighter jets to the Iran war.

The peace protesters used heavy-duty locks to attach themselves to a car, a large multi-coloured peace symbol and each other. They completely blocked the main gates of RAF Lakenheath from 6am. Peace campaigners also shut down a second gate into RAF Lakenheath for 4 hours from 6am to 10am.

This non-violent direct action follows a week-long International Peace Camp at the base that ended yesterday, Monday 6 April. Although the RAF is the official owner, the US Air Force has exclusive use of the airbase. And it’s using it to send fighter jets to the war in Iran.

RAF bases Lakenheath and nearby Mildenhall have also supported Israel’s genocide in Gaza and nuclear bombs returned to Lakenheath last summer. Marie Walsh, a retired teacher from Didcot said:

We are here to interrupt business as usual, and to say in the name of humanity ‘STOP’.

One of the lock-on protesters, Rajan Naidu from Birmingham said:

Though being on British sovereign territory, this base is used by the US to pursue an illegal war of aggression, raining death and misery on the people of Iran. The base is also being used to aid and abet Israeli war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian people. Britain, by allowing these crimes against humanity is complicit in them, and therefore culpable for them.

RAF Lakenheath and Trump’s war on Iran

Well over 100 fighter jets and bombers have deployed from RAF Lakenheath for the attack on Iran. RAF Mildenhall has also had active involvement in the illegal war of aggression by providing refuelling for bombers deploying to West Asia.

Lakenheath Alliance For Peace has kept a list of warplanes deploying from Lakenheath and other airbases.

The Military Aviation YouTube channel filmed and published three Israeli F-35I arriving at RAF Mildenhall on 16 February and then departing for Israel on 18 February. The Israeli media had reported the delivery of the new aircraft on 20 January. Israel has used the F-35I in attacks against Gaza, Yemen and Iran.

LAP believes US nuclear B61-12 bombs have already arrived at RAF Lakenheath.

Nukewatch UK collected evidence of US B61-12 nuclear bombs coming to Lakenheath. Nukewatch is a network of volunteers that monitors and tracks movements of weapons of mass destruction in order to break the secrecy and inform the public about nuclear weapons in the UK.

Featured image via Lakenheath Alliance For Peace