The Fairford Air Tattoo returns to the skies of Gloucestershire on Friday 15th July to Sunday 17th July.
This event, which masquerades as a charity whilst simultaneously inviting all the biggest arms dealers from around the world will go one stage further this year – it will proudly exhibit the American A-10 tank buster as one of its star attractions at the show.
This is the plane that has fired hundreds of tonnes of depleted uranium (DU) across Iraq and the Balkans. In mockery of those families whose lives have been blighted by DU, it will be used in this year’s show for family entertainment.
Members of Plane Stupid, and a coalition of climate and anti-militarist groups intend to stand in solidarity with all innocent victims of war and will be cycling en masse to the air show in aid of the victims of DU and in support of the ongoing campaigns to get DU banned.
Friday is the ”industry” day when arms deals are made, Saturday and Sunday are the public days where about 150,000 are expected on both days. The plan is to stick to the well marked traffic routes and of course hope to keep to a minimum the chaos that may be caused on the roads!
There will be a series of events during the weekend: bands playing Bob Dylan’s Master of War on Friday evening (at a location that will be announced on the morning of Friday 15th on the Facebooksite Fairford Air Tattoo Sponsored Bike Ride (http://on.fb.me/iqecqP)) and there are also planns for various workshops on the alternatives to a war based economy.
To gauge numbers please either join the Facebook group or contact the organisers at airtattoo.cyclist@yahoo.co.uk to confirm if you are coming. Bikes can be hired from www.go-by-cycle.co.uk who can arrange drop off and pick up at Kemble Railway Station.
Please come with your camping equipment to face down one of the biggest events legitimising the military industrial complex’s use of inhumane and indiscriminate weapons and their rights to pollute our planet.
