News of Fairford protest from Abingdon Peace Group
Posted: 22nd August 2026
Dear Peace Group supporter,
Around 250 people, many of them young, took the trouble to demonstrate outside USAF Fairford, the US war base incongruously placed in the middle of the Cotswolds, on Saturday. There were rousing speeches from several young women leaders – from a Stroud councillor to a Trade Union General Secretary, from Sophie Bolt, General Secretary of CND, to Shel, the founder of Fairford Action Group. All emphasised how totally illegal the war against Iran is – how it punishes Iranian people who are already suffering under a brutal regime, and how the motivation is almost certainly to wrest control of Iran’s oil.
Our minds were focussed by the haunting school photos of 120 primary school children killed in the first bomb attack of the war – they looked out from the fence with such innocence and enthusiasm it was painful to look at them.
The message to our new PM was clear: Stop this illegal war now! Close US bases in the UK!
And now the encouraging news: Have you heard of the Defence Universities Alliance, which the government launched quietly last month? Neither had I but it’s here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Universities_Alliance and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/boost-for-skills-and-research-as-35-universities-across-the-uk-partner-in-new-defence-alliance
I was disgusted to find that my Alma Mater, Bristol University, is one of the founder universities. But the students are fighting back:
54 Elected Student Officers have publicised an open letter standing against the Defence Universities Alliance (DUA).
This is fantastic to see.All across the country, people are standing against the militarisation of our universities.
The MoD will not turn higher education into academic army bases or further entrench institutional complicity in violence across the Global South without a fight!
The student officers have reached out to key government figures—including the Education Secretary, Defence Secretary, and Prime Minister—to arrange a meeting to express their widespread opposition. Here’s what their letter says:
On 13th July, the Ministry of Defence launched the “Defence Universities Alliance” (D.U.A.) which is a blatant attempt to militarise our universities and transform them into academic army bases.
We know that our universities should be broadening the minds of their students and working to produce knowledge that improves the health, wellbeing and prosperity of the world. Instead they have chosen to make themselves direct participants in mechanised murder across the Global South.
So far 53 elected student union officers from across Britain have signed the open letter making clear our complete opposition to militarisation of our universities. We have reached out to Lucy Powell, the Education Secretary, Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary and Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, to arrange a meeting with student officers to express our widespread opposition to the alliance.
We call on other elected student officers to sign the open letter and students to organise on their campuses against this unprecedented alliance. Wherever militarism arises in our society whether in the workplace, hospital, school or university, we will and must oppose it.
We know that our universities should be broadening the minds of their students and working to produce knowledge that improves the health, wellbeing and prosperity of the world. Instead they have chosen to make themselves direct participants in mechanised murder across the Global South.
So far 53 elected student union officers from across Britain have signed the open letter making clear our complete opposition to militarisation of our universities. We have reached out to Lucy Powell, the Education Secretary, Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary and Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, to arrange a meeting with student officers to express our widespread opposition to the alliance.
We call on other elected student officers to sign the open letter and students to organise on their campuses against this unprecedented alliance. Wherever militarism arises in our society whether in the workplace, hospital, school or university, we will and must oppose it.
Read more on their website https://demilitariseeducation.com/, and get writing to your alma mater!!
Yours in and for peace,
Sally
01235 526265 or 07786 055195