Photo: MORNING STAR Women defy the police barrier MICHAEL HESELTINE informed the Greenham women last week that troops were being sent to the airbase to protect them! They were needed in case US airmen thought the women were terrorists and decided to shoot to kill! Some protection, having the police, sexist abuse at you all night as lights flashed round the perimeter.
But despite all the week-long blockade, women still managed to get into the base, and early on Friday morning started to dismantle the CECe SCOT this aCI women were charged with and face fines up to f1,000 and six months in jail.
Police massively outnumbered the women during the blockade until Friday, when 1000 military riot police and troops from the -and hurling turned up and 63 arrests took place.
Two features of the blockade were significant. Large numbers of women Irom abroad Australia, Canada, Holland, •weuet.
Germany. Second, there sophistication of police tactics. A special training operations centre at Newbury race course has been established to covoy the workers into the base organise LOC police/army operations.
Fortress The sexist abuse was calculating continuous. • Women without bras were ridiculed women at the camp were singled out for verbal abuse and tougher treatment.
Spitting. swearing and the use of horses indicated one thing clearly to all the women the state peparing fortress Greenham for showdown Women can expect creasingly violent tactics from the police.
something else needs noting The numbers at the blockade were not what was expected the organisers had been banking on 3000 a day, but until Friday the turnout was more like 300.
emerging about uncle or peace mOve Some women see direct action at the camp as the way forward. Others want concentrate their energies on the European Nuclea •Disarmament Campaign and the Eurolabour movement orientafurther difference exists among women in the peace movement about what attitude LaKe towards the peace movements Europe. masteri likely to be the focus for a big debate in CND as whole, given the meeting vetween some women and observers Charter 77 activists at the Prague conference of the World Peace Council Troops keep watch on perimeter suggested that the unions might urge CND to bring the demonstr anon forwaron' one day and combine i with a peace strike on Friday 21 October. This bold suggestion received a mix.
reception Iron delegates. Most the meeting felt that this proposal was unlikely to win support from the union.
But the point was made that the unions must take a far more initiating role in the aisarmamen Helen argued that a trade women's peace movement calender. massive protest Is being planned Geneva at the end of the disarmament Women are discussing get- LalKs ting London buses ULU drive women over there.
Clearly this action will TaSt all the questions associated with the debate ove LOe Women should to Geneva, delegated by their Labour Parties and trade unions if possible but with the clearest possible derands - no cruise, no Trident or Pershing in Europe, no to deterrents' and no to NATO and the imperialist death plans. Greenham Common and surrounds
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Highland Regiment throwing you away from the 10-foot high fences during the day