Greenham Common

In the early 1980s, NATO decided that RAF Greenham Common near Newbury in Berkshire would become one of two sites to host the US Air Force’s arsenal of ground-launched cruise missiles, all 96 complete with a thermonuclear warhead.

If deployed, these bombs would be capable of wiping out millions of lives across Soviet Union-controlled Europe.

Having such destructive power on British soil was not something the population at the time took lightly. Before the weapons even arrived, what would become one of the most talked about protests in the world – the Greenham Common Peace Camps – took up residence just outside the perimeter gates.

The women-only camp was established in September 1981. The number of women at the camp, which became a focus for the peace and women’s movements, varied from around 40 (in October 1987) to more than 70,000 at its height.

The protesters worked closely with the ”Cruisewatch” organisation monitoring the US Air Force’s excursions with missile launchers to nearby Salisbury Plain.

Forming human blockades, the group prevented the movement of weapons, stopped planes from landing by covering the runway with flammable paint and put sugar in the fuel tanks of military vehicles, causing delays to convoys.

Their actions swayed public opinion, with 59% of the British public opposed to the siting of weapons on the base in Autumn 1981.

Although not all agreed with their methods, they did keep the nuclear disarmament debate in the public eye while putting pressure on the governments of the day.

The demonstrations ended with the closure of the base. Greenham Common reverted to standby status, and the last US cruise missiles were withdrawn in March 1991.

Years later, Mikhail Gorbachev vindicated the Greenham women when he stated that their pressure was one of the factors that led to the decision to begin disarmament talks between Russia and the USA.