Zareen Taj, from Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, reports back on their very successful Peace Camp 2026.
Taking place between Wednesday April 1st to Monday April 6th, our Peace Camp 2026 brought together people from all over the world – we were joined by campaigners from Gangjeong Village, Jeju Island, South Korea and New Zealand amongst others. Hundreds of people brought their positivity and shared information of their own struggles and actions in their areas.
Commmander Robert Green, Royal Navy (Ret’d), was one of three military personnel who signed our letter to the UK and US base commanders at the Lakenheath airbase. The other two were Ann Wright (retired US Colonel) and Chris Romberg (retired UK Colonel), Ann Wright also sent a message of support which was read out at our closing ceremony.
This support highlighted the concerns of Lakenheath Alliance for Peace who have been keeping vigil at the Main Gate of the airbase since the last peace camp in 2025, protesting against plans for US nuclear weapons to be hosted here. The Lakenheath base is currently occupied by the US airforce and US President Donald Trump has initiated plans to double the number of nuclear-capable F-35A squadrons, upgrade the base’s special weapons storage bunkers to hold the B61-12 warhead, and to build a ‘Surety’ dormitory’. The latter is accommodation for the additional personnel needed for nuclear weapons missions. The additional F-35s strengthen the US airforce’s ability to maintain air superiority in Europe. The stealth fighters are the only fifth-generation aircraft certified to carry nuclear weapons, specifically the B61-12 gravity bomb, which has a blast yield of approximately 50 kilotons.
Our “Letter to the Base Commanders” stated that: “This has now led to a position where these UK bases are being used in what the UN Secretary General and even the UK Government have claimed is against International Law.”
Increased activity of US planes arriving at the base since January this year has shown that the UK is aiding the US illegal attacks on Iran as well as still aiding the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza even as our Prime Minister claims he wants nothing to do with Trump’s wars.
Our letter was taken to the police at the Main Gate but, as with the delivery of our previous five letters, we did not receive a reply so our protesters made paper planes out of copies of the letter and flew them over the perimeter fence so that personnel on the base would see them.
The six day peace camp is made possible by a team of organisers from around the country who coordinate it all. This includes arranging the hiring of a campsite, bookings to camp, line up of speakers and workshops, themed days at the Main Gate, vegan food and catering for all helpers, transport for visitors and training at the camp as well as press releases, filming and covering website and social media postings.
All the preparation led to an enjoyable and informative camp where activists were able to network to grow the movement against nuclear weapons and the increased militarisation of society in the UK as well as globally. There were opportunities to join nature walks and enjoy the beauty of the area, as well as a workshop at the campsite about oppression, movement building and relationships by Karl Lam and Alina Adams. We maintained a 24/7 vigil at Main Gate 1 as well as visitors attending activities and talks during the day there, such as Phil Laurie speaking in a war on protest workshop on behalf of Defend Our Juries, and daily banner-making sessions.
The mainstream media’s focus was rightly on the attacks on Iran since the work of LAP has exposed the complicity of the Lakenheath airbase in the US-Israeli war. This is while the genocide in Gaza continues and the UK supplies Israeli jets with parts and fuel.
Astonishingly the arrival of more and more planes at the airbase was a draw for plane spotters with their telescopic camera lenses over the bank holiday weekend. These groups of a few hundred people are tolerated by the police much more kindly while parking on grass verges and blocking the viewing area three miles from the main gate as they admire killing machines taking off and landing on the runways.
CND supported the peace camp from the planning stage, with Vice President Kate Hudson leading talks around the country to raise the profile of the event. CND organised a coach from London for the ‘Give Peace a Chance’ day of action, with General Secretary Sophie Bolt speaking about the government’s eroding of our public services by funneling the money needed for the most vulnerable in our society into wars and arms manufacturing. This speech and others were made at the blockade of the Main Gate 1 of the airbase where we occupied the road preventing all entry and exit from the base.
Other notable speakers were Yolanda from Women in Black, Madrid and Ulla Klotzer from Global Women United Against NATO. The latter led a protest of women in T shirts saying ‘No to NATO’ after reading out 10 points on why the NATO alliance is detrimental to world peace and how it harms the lives of women.
The day was filled with songs performed by local choirs including Common Lot and poems from MC for the day, Junayd of Islam. We were thrilled to have Seize the Day perform their uplifting songs after a message of empathy for the two personnel in a Lakenheath plane shot down in Iran who we know now were both found alive. The police as usual started clearing our blockade, threatening people with arrest, before the agreed time. But many held on to our space for two songs from Seize the Day. The singers were harassed by liaison officers even as they sang!
Two protesters refused to leave and were arrested but were released by early morning of Sunday.
Sunday morning was the Quaker meeting during which a group of seven protesters stood opposite the base with tabards each with one word on it reading: “We – Oppose – Genocide – We – Support – Palestine – Action”. Incredibly it took just six minutes for a team of officers to swoop down, zip tie the hands of the tabard wearers and arrest them. They were all released later on and we await to hear about any follow up on these arrests and the two from Saturday.
On Monday we symbolically held up banners to represent peace and anti-war groups that had supported us and laid them in a box to be brought out again at our vigils (which take place on the third Saturday of the month, 12 noon to 2pm at Main Gate 1).
Sue Wright from Norwich & District CND led the chant:
“We came in Peace.
We leave in Peace.
We will return in Peace.”
Please consider joining us at Lakenheath Alliance for Peace! To get in touch email admin@lakenheathallianceforpeace.org.uk or check out our social media platforms where you can follow, like and share to raise our profile!