I’m writing a long post on the history of Greenham Common. Long story short–the protesters at Greenham camped out for some ten years in front of a US b52 airbase that was keeping first-strike weapons on high alert.  But that protest eventually got the airbase shut down. And in recent months, as a memorial was set up at the base, the women of Greenham claimed that their protest was the First Occupy.

I’m recommending that friends in the Occupy movement look at the Disarming Grandmothers Website, which follows the exploits of Helen John, one of the veterans of Greenham who is now set on making sure that the UK is never home to NATO drone aircraft. There are some 18 short videos following Helen and Sylvia as they get themselves arrested again and again. 

Greenham history to be published next week.