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08
Jul 2024
Menwith Hill campaigners call for surveillance base to fall under UK control
Campaigners have called for the American spy base Menwith Hill to fall under British control as part of their annual independence day protest.
On July 4, the day of the general election, about a dozen activists gathered in the layby at Kettlesing to campaign about the nearby base near Harrogate.
RAF Menwith Hill was created in the 1950s. During the Cold War, the site was made available to the US and is now one of America's largest overseas surveillance bases.
Campaigners have long argued there needs to be greater transparency surrounding the base.
They say its presence heightens the threat posed to Harrogate as a military and terrorist target. Recent reports suggest it has been on a heightened state of alert.
A man was convicted of planning a terrorist on the base last week, further exacerbating security concerns.
The annual Independence from America Day demonstration highlights concerns each year.
It is held to coincide with the anniversary of America issuing its Declaration of Independence from British colonial rule on July 4, 1776.
Campaigners now want the roles to be reversed, with the UK gaining independence from the US.
RAF Menwith Hill
Beau Disco at the Independence from America event
David Webb, from Yorkshire CND, said:
The roles of both Menwith Hill and Fylingdales need to be better understood. Massive amounts of data are being collected from surveillance by satellite and by the covert monitoring of land based electronic communications.
Here are some images from the protest.
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