RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk has seen its operations shut down this morning (Tuesday, 7 April) by a group of grassroots activists:
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Entrances to the military base have been blocked by two groups since 6am this morning: one creating a hard picket across the road leading to a six-lane entrance to the site, and the other taking part in a lock-on, shutting down operations at the base:
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The activists seek to raise awareness of the UK’s complicity in the illegal warfare, and demand that the UK government immediately prohibits the use of UK bases by the US. This action follows a week of peaceful protest at the site with round-the-clock vigils, culminating in the “Give Peace a Chance Big Blockade” on Saturday 4 April, where hundreds of protesters gathered to stand against this use of British territory by the US.
RAF Lakenheath shows the UK is just a US proxy
An official announcement in March granted the US permission to use the UK’s airbases for “specific and limited defensive action against missile facilities in Iran”.
Enormous questions remain unanswered about the extent of these operations, such as the number of UK bases in use by US forces, and the criteria, laws, or methods of assessment that might be involved in approving such a request, or monitoring the legality of the activities carried out by the US.
For the US, the use of UK bases is not new; a research briefing published last month for MPs in the House of Commons cites 12 sites, in addition to RAF Lakenheath, which is known to house US Military units, and the permanent presence of 11,000 US Military personnel in the UK. Since the announcement last month, the forces of the US are gathering apace in UK bases to support president Trump’s Operation
A total of 21 US stealth bombers – the largest bomber deployment in recent history – are stationed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. RAF Lakenheath has been the permanent base of the 48th US Fighter Wing – the “Liberty Wing” – since January 1960. The base has long been the subject of sustained, peaceful public opposition, who object to the central role RAF Lakenheath has consistently played in US operations, particularly in the SWANA region.
Today, F-15 fighter jets and F-35 (designed for stealth strikes), with F-22 Raptors have been observed passing through en route to SWANA and back, with deployment of over 100 fighter jets being observed in recent weeks by locals and aviation enthusiasts, flying to support illegal US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
A-10s (aircraft for attacking armoured vehicles and ground forces) arrived on site on 30 March, RAF Lakenheath was also used in January to refuel en route to SWANA, well in advance of the government’s announcement that the UK was to be involved. Concerningly, US Nuclear bombs are reported to be held on site since last July.
Public backlash
Today’s blockade is not the first blockade at RAF Lakenheath, this week alone over 100 demonstrators already took part in blockading the site on Saturday 4 April. More broadly, demonstrations of all kinds outside arms factories and US bases in the UK are now commonplace, albeit underreported and largely ignored by government.
61% of people surveyed oppose the storage of nuclear weapons in the UK. Many activists regularly place their freedom and safety on the line to oppose this system. Previously at RAF Brize-Norton, five activists had allegedly damaged Voyager aircraft that attacked Yemen in support of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians (voyager aircraft are designed for refuelling while in the air). These activists have been denied bail since July 2025, being held in prison without any conviction, with their trial scheduled for January 2027.
Enough
The UK has given a clear signal that it aligns itself with the US-Israeli military and with Trump’s Operation Epic Fury, whose clear targets are civilian infrastructure and control over natural resources globally. Today’s action outside RAF Lakenheath seeks to align itself with numerous actions around the country, to push back against the presence of US military in the UK, and the UK’s complicity in war crimes in more broadly. This resistance from a group of ordinary people is a peaceful but challenging action intended to disrupt the quotidian rhythm and operation of a site of war.
The protesters call for:
- The prohibition of the use of air bases to provide any support to Israel for its attacks on Palestine, including surveillance operations.
- The prohibition of the use of air bases to provide any support to the US or Israel for their attacks on Iran and Lebanon.
- Ultimately to remove US forces – personnel, infrastructure, equipment and munitions – from all UK military bases.
Featured image via the Canary
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