By Peter Lux, Lakenheath Alliance for Peace
Our current mainstream political discussion often centres on the immediate and the domestic— immigration, fixing more potholes or the cost of living. These ‘safe’ worries distract from a much darker undercurrent of anxiety. While the political pundits discuss the personal traits of party leaders, the public is quietly bracing for a catastrophe that the political class seems unwilling to discuss.
Looking beyond the potholes of our daily lives, we must ask ourselves: where does our safety truly lie? We must decide if we want a future based on escalation, war and possibly nuclear extermination, or one based on the understanding, cooperation and belief that another world is possible.
The scale of public fear regarding global conflict is not just rising; it has become a mainstream expectation. Over 50% of UK adults believe a world war is likely within the next five to ten years and 68% of the UK population are actively worried about the threat of conflict in the immediate future. In the US, most Democrats and one-third of Republicans believe a nuclear war is likely within the next decade.
In the National Security Review 2025, Keir Starmer wrote: “National Security is the first responsibility of any government.”
If security is truly the first responsibility, the failure to engage the public on military escalation is a staggering dereliction of duty. When the only options presented are ‘increase defence spending’ or ‘face invasion’, when jobs are to be created by increased military production and when dole queues are to be cut by military recruitment, voters are effectively sidelined. We are left to worry about potholes while the shadow of war lengthens.
Although RAF Lakenheath and nearby RAF Mildenhall are technically UK bases, they operate as a de facto US enclave where our concerns are secondary to American strategic goals. This was most evident when the US Air Force ignored UK government reservations regarding the legality of using the base for offensive attacks on Iran and supply of offensive weapons to Israel.
During a recent protest, we watched as A-10 ‘tank buster’ attack aircraft departed for the Middle East. These were only a few of over 140 fighter-bombers that have left for the Middle East via Lakenheath this year.
The UK government’s stance on arms exports to Israel is a study in hypocrisy. Officially, the government has suspended certain exports because there is a “clear risk” that they might facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.
In January, three Israeli F-35I jets were documented departing from RAF Mildenhall on a delivery flight bound for Israel. This logistical support completely undermines the official declarations.
While the general public is trapped in pessimism, the International Peace Camp at RAF Lakenheath on 1st – 6th 2026 April offered a different way forward. This gathering was grounded in the belief that active resistance is a hopeful act with open discussion, cooperation and disruptions to the base’s operations. The activities included workshops, nature walks, leafleting and engaging with people in local towns and direct action.
The Big Blockade on Saturday 4th April brought people from across the country with the main entrance blocked for three hours with talks, music and the demand for a better future. This led to two arrests.
The Camp also came at a time when the freedom of expression and protest are under attack. On the Sunday seven people were arrested for wearing tabards that read “We oppose genocide, We Support Palestine Action”.
On the same day Colonel Chris Romberg, a descendant of Holocaust survivors who served for 30 years as a Defence Attaché in Jordan and Egypt and has become a vocal critic of current policy stated: “As a former military officer I’m shocked at the war of aggression being waged and the complicity of the British government.”
The day after the end of the Peace Camp the two main gates of the base were blockaded.
At one gate, a vociferous crowd used flares and a banner reading “called in sick to block RAF Lakenheath” to shut down the gate for several hours. The other main gates was paralysed for six hours by a car, a large CND symbol, and activists with ‘lock-ons’. This led to another 14 arrests.
The disconnect between the clandestine nuclear deployments, military escalation and the mundane rhetoric of domestic politics is no longer sustainable.
Lakenheath Alliance for Peace consists of 65 organisation dedicated to opposing the return of US nuclear weapons to USAF Lakenheath. It is committed to nonviolent direct action for a peaceful and non-threatening world.
It is more than a one-off protest – it’s a sustained campaign. Since 2024 we have held monthly vigils (third Saturday of every month) and we have had three yearly peace camps. Alongside this, we continue actively campaigning across the country.
We welcome other groups to join our vigils on specific issues or hold their own actions/protests at RAF Lakenheath. For example we held a Welfare Not Warfare vigil last November and people are coming from Wales for a vigil at the end of June.
Another future is possible. We are working to build it.
Peter Lux is an activist with Lakenheath Alliance for Peace.
More resources: A 40 minute documentary about the camp here. Information about the 2026 Internation Peace Camp here. Access more images and videos of the camp here.
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Images: Lakenheath Alliance for Peace.
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