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On the 19th of September, London CND marked the lead-up to the UN International Day of Peace by visiting embassies across the capital, reinforcing its commitment to nuclear disarmament. This report delves into the day's activities.

UN International Day of Peace 2024 London CND visits embassies across the capital

protest

Back from RAF Lakenheath [Photos]

On Saturday 20th May, CND organised a third national demonstration at RAF Lakenheath, a military base in the UK that is run by the US. This follows annoucements that the US Department of Defense has added the UK to a list of NATO nuclear weapons storage locations in Europe being upgraded under a multi-million dollar infrastructure programme. US nuclear bombs have recently been cleared for delivery to sites in Europe, this means that US nuclear weapons will be coming to RAF Lakenheath.

110 nuclear bombs were stored at the airbase but they were removed by 2008 following persistent popular protest. CND firmly opposes their return, which would only increase global tensions and put Britain on the frontline in a NATO/Russia war.

After a first action in May last year, and a second in November, protesters from London, Norwhich, Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Derby and Nottingham returned with the same message: No US Nukes in Britain.

Here are some pictures of the day

(Photo credit: CND)

CND’s Tom Unterrainer

Click on the photo to expand:

Thanks to all who came!

In peace,

London CND

Protestors tell US Embassy we don’t want your nukes on our doorstep

London CND and friends held a successful protest outside the US embassy in the early evening of Tuesday 21 March to oppose the return of Unite States nuclear weapons once again to the UK. This will make Britain a likely target for a nuclear attack, so it is essential that the US’s plan to base their missiles here does not go ahead.

Protestors heard about CND’s campaign to stop US nukes being stationed at Lakenheath air force base 70 miles north east of London from a range of speakers, including Sue Wright, Chair of Norwich CND which is the nearest group to Lakenheath and Junayd Islam from Cambridge Student CND.

Cllr Emma Dent-Coad, Stop the War’s Shelly Asquith, Jess Barnard, Labour National Executive Committee member, and John McGrath representing the International Committee of the Democratic Socialists of America also addressed protestors. Rev Nagase from the London Peace Pagoda offered prayers for peace, and members of CND groups around London and the Home Counties contributed songs and poems, and colourful banners.

CND’s social media platforms, plus coverage from Times Radio and other local and regional news media helped get the message across to Londoners, and publicise the next national protest at Lakenheath on Saturday 20 May.

Book your seat on London CND’s coach early to make sure of a place!

Report from CND protest at Lakenheath [Video]

The Lakenheath protest was a success! ✊US nukes are not welcome back in Britain, and we'll keep fighting to prevent their return.

Thanks to all protestors, donors and supporters!

We’ve made a short video recap with some key moments of the protest, and shared some pictures below:

In pictures

Young Labour at the Lakenheath protest [video]

Joining the CND protest at the US airbase of RAF Lakenheath where US nukes are expected to return, chair of Young Labour Jessica Barnard said “It’s a disgusting reality that we condemn 4 million children to living in poverty in our communities while we throw unimaginable money at nuclear weapons”.

Video credit: John McGrath

Your message to Lakenheath

It has been recently revealed that US nuclear weapons are expected to return to Britain. In response, CND has called a national protest at the US airbase of RAF Lakenheath on Saturday 21st May.

Some of you unfortunately won't be able to join us, but we would like to carry your voices with us. Please write a short message on the form below. We'll write it on signs and stick it on the fence on the day of the protest!

Here's some ideas :

- Why do you oppose the return of US nukes?

- Why should other people care?

- Why should people support CND today?

Bruce Kent: 3 reasons why you should go to Lakenheath protest [video]

London CND vice-president explains: 'We don't need anymore American bombs or any bombs at all in Britain at this time. We should be going completely in reverse not increasing the tensions that there already are. It's really important for people to come on the 21st to show to the rest of the world that Britain is not lying down.'

Watch the full video:

🗓️Sat 21st May

📍 US airbase RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk

🚍Cheap coaches from London: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/coach-from-london-stop-us-nukes-coming-to-lakenheath-tickets-333669252717

London CND at the Climate Justice March

London CND joined the global day of action for Climate Justice called by the COP26 Coalition. We assembled at the Bank of England by the CND stall and marched to Trafalgar Square. Blocs included: Reparations, Trade Union and Worker, Health Justice, Feminist and LGBTQ+, Biodiversity, Global Solidarity (including CND, Stop the War Coalition and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign), Faith and Eco-socialist.

Julie, the London CND worker, brought a very visual placard explaining the disastrous link between Climate Change and nuclear weapons.

London CND at #KillTheBill

The government is planning to make important changes to the law that will restrict the right to protest when lockdown restrictions ease.

CND and London CND oppose this new planned legislation, and joined the national #KillTheBill protest on May 1st in London. After gathering in Trafalgar Square from midday, we marched past Buckingham Palace then through Victoria, past the Department for Education and the Home Office, and finally across the river to Vauxhall Gardens.

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About the bill

The police, crime, sentencing and courts bill would give the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, powers to create laws to define ‘serious disruption’ to communities and organisations, on which police can then rely to impose conditions on protests. As the Netpol Kill The Bill Coalition statement explains:

The Bill intensifies police brutality against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and criminalises their way of life.

The Bill gives the police the power to criminalise protests for being “noisy”, disruptive or “annoying”.

The Bill uses ‘protecting’ women as a cover to expand police powers and increase custodial sentences. These measures are not sufficient to prevent violence, and are troubling considering police officers’ implication in cases of violence against women.

The Bill expands stop and search powers, which are already regularly used to harass and terrorise young black people.

The Bill will silence the calls for justice by families of those whose loved ones have died at the hands of the police.

The Bill makes those at the sharpest edge of state violence even more unsafe – including migrants, sex workers, Disabled people, and racialised communities. 

But in a victory for protestors, the next stage of the bill has now been delayed until later in the year after huge opposition. This protest aimed to increase the pressure to scrap the bill altogether.

What now?

Our ability to campaign against nuclear weapons is only as strong as our democratic freedom to dissent and protest. We must continue to stand firm against the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill.

CND signed an open letter to the Home Secretary and Justice Secretary with other organisations highlighting our concerns, and you can express your opposition to the Bill by signing the Netpol petitition here:

Protest NATO: 70 years too many

This April, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) celebrates its 70th birthday.

As CND General Secretary Kate Hudson writes, ‘in the 30 years since the Cold War and the removal of its political and military rival, the Soviet Union, NATO has massively expanded territorially, changed its mission statement from a defensive to an aggressive posture and embarked on a series of wars, of which their intervention in Afghanistan is getting on for two decades long. ‘

CND has long opposed NATO, and on the 2nd April will protest to challenge this aggressive alliance which makes all of us less safe. Linking with anti-NATO protests internationally, CND will be at NATO’s Allied Maritime Command in Northwood.

Join us on the 2nd April to say No to Nato and No to Trump!