Greenham Common Peace Camp 1982, after an eviction of women and tents huge boulders are strewn around; bench graffiti- "Take the Toys from the Boys"
1982. During an eviction where women from Greenham Peace Camp see their shelters and belongings destroyed a woman paints "Take the toys from the boys" (reference to men playing with nuclear weapons) on an old bench outside the main gate. ( see photo 2GFCPRG) Contractors impede the womens' return by dumping enormous piles of boulders all over the site. The police respond by questioning the women responsible for painting the bench . The officer said " This is serious!!! No I don't mean nuclear weapons I mean painting the bench!". 5th September 1981 protestors against nuclear arms arrived at Greenham Common RAF base, Berkshire, UK. They had marched from Cardiff to protest against the introduction of American Cruise missiles to be sited at the base. Arriving at the perimeter fence several of the women decided to chain themselves to the fence demanding a live televised discussion with a representative of the Ministry of Defence. This did not happen however the Greenham Peace camp, later to become the Greenham Womens Peace Camp was born. Protests continued throughout the 1980s at the site with attempts to disrupt work at the base and movement of the missiles. In 1987 President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty paving the way for the removal of the Cruise misses which occurred between 1989-91. The women continued at the peace Camp to protest against Nuclear weapons until September 2000, leaving 19 years after they had arrived.
Size: 2359px × 3400px
Location: Greenham Common Women Peace Camp, Berkshire, UK
Photo credit: © Maggie Sully / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1981, 1982, action, activists, ban, banner, bench, bomb, boys, camp, cardiff, civil, cnd, common, cruise, demonstration, disarmament, disobedience, earth, fence, gate, graffitti, greenham, life, main, march, missiles, movement, nuclear, peace, protest, series, slogans, toys, uk, woman, women, womens
