February 6th, 2000 is the 15th anniversary of the eviction of the “Rainbow Village” at Molesworth, Cambridgeshire.

The site was a proposed second base for 64 American cruise missiles. Under the cover of darkness on 6th February 1985, a convoy containing 1,500 Royal engineers, 600 MoD police and 1,000 civil police descended on the village to evict 150 peace campers. The eviction took 5 months to plan, and was the largest peacetime mobilisation of troops in this country. Those protesters that refused to move their homes had to stand by and watch as their caravans were bulldozed off site.

At 10am when the eviction was nearly over, Tarzan (Michael Heseltine) himself appeared from his helicopter wearing an army combat jacket and was quoted as saying he was “Deeply concerned for the children of the village”. In order to keep the protesters out a £3million security fence was constructed. Unfortunately, with the ending of the ‘Cold War’ only a few missiles ever reached the base before it was redundant.

A permanent peace garden is being maintained at the base.
For more details contact Cambridge CND on 01480 475284