The Greenham Common Women

In 1979 the NATO decided to site 96 Cruise Missiles at the Air Force

base in Greenham Common. On september 5th in 1981 women marched 110

miles from Cardiff in Wales to to Greenham to protest against the NATO

decision. Then they set up 'Women's Peace Camp' outside the main gate of

the RAF base. Setellite camps soon followed and settled around the

fences of the base. Each camp was distinguished by its color - the

'Women's Peace Camp' became known as 'Yellow Gate'. In november 1983 the

missiles arived. More women came from all parts of the U.K. to resist by

taking non-violent direct action. In addition women entered the base

regularly to obstruct the workings of the Cruise Missile convoy.

In 1985 Micheal Hesseltine, the Secretary of Statue for the Ministry of

Defence, made byelaws for Greenham Common that criminilized these women

and prohibited their actions. After four years of fighting against these

byelaws Jean Hutchinson and Georgina Smith managed to convince the House

of Lords to declare these byelaws illegal.

Within these years hundreds of women of the 'Greenham Common Women' were

arrested and imprisoned.

In March 1991, the last of the Criuse Missiles were flown back to the

United States. 'Greenham Common Women' succeeded. 1994 the last of the

satellite camps closed. The 'Yellow Gate' - camp stayed to draw the

attention on all existing nuclear weapons. In 1992 women turned their

attention to the atomic weapons at Aldernaston and Burghfield, two

stations just eight miles away from the Camp at Greenham.

Since 1998 women have been fighting against the legality of nuclear

weapons in the courts through two jury trials.