Not many brand-new local campaigns can boast the support Pembrokeshire Against the Radar Campaign (PARC) has had as its website, parcagainstdarc.com, officially springs into existence.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament UK, Extinction Rebellion UK, boutique local hotel Roch Castle and Stop the War Coalition UK are just some of the big names that have supported the just-launched campaign against DARC radar, the unprecedentedly huge proposed 27-antenna radar farm the US military is trying to build in Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy, Pembrokeshire.
The location sits in the heart of the Dewisland peninsula, near St. Davids and Solva—some of the very most celebrated, beautiful coastal seaside tourist hotspots in Wales—provoking highly unsurprising anger and consternation from local residents.
PARC notoriously defeated a very similar over-the-horizon radar array in the early 1990s, with a huge and widely-supported local campaign that grew from the local to the national, ending with Margaret Thatcher personally having to scrap the radar plans.
But the campaign has every intention of repeating its historic success. Re-forming with a new purpose and a new determination, it so far already has the active support of CND UK, CND Cymru, Peace & Justice Project, Heddwch ar Waith (Peace Action Wales), Stop the War Coalition UK, Stop the War Coalition Cymru, Stop the War Coalition Pembrokeshire, People’s Assembly Wales, Pembrokeshire People’s Assembly, Extinction Rebellion UK, West Wales Climate Coalition, Extinction Rebellion St Davids (XR St Davids), Unite Communities West Wales, Undod Chwith Cymru (Left Unity Wales), No Cold War, Welsh Communist Party, YCL Wales (Young Communist League Wales), Pembrokeshire Green Party, Menwith Hill Campaign, Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth and the Fire Brigades Union Cymru.
But that's just the organisations. Before even launching, we are especially proud to have the support of some of the most beloved and well-known local businesses in the area, including Twr y Felin Hotel (St Davids), Roch Castle (St Davids), Penrhiw Priory (St Davids), Bayview Stores (Solva), Falcon Boats (St Davids), The Peepal Tree (St Davids), the Really Wild Emporium (St Davids), Etcetera (St Davids) and Studio 6 (St Davids).
But it just keeps going. (Breathe. Take five, have a cup of tea and come back!) We're honoured to have the support of Leanne Wood (former MS and Plaid Cymru leader), Anthony Slaughter (Wales Green Party Leader), Heledd Fychan (MS for South Wales Central region), Mabon ap Gwynfor (MS for Dwyfor Meiroinnydd), Beth Winter (MP for Cynon Valley), Mairead Canavan (National Education Union Wales National Executive member), Cerith Griffiths (Fire Brigades Union Cymru National Executive member), Rob Griffiths (General Secretary of the Communist Party GB), Jill Evans (Vice Chair of CND Cymru and former Plaid Cymru MEP), Len Arthur (Secretary, Undod Chwith Cymru/Left Unity Wales and People’s Assembly Wales), Adam Johannes (Cardiff Stop the War Coalition) and Sarah Swift (Menwith Hill Campaign)!
This is day one folks.
Here’s to a roaring success of a campaign. Tell all your friends, tell your family, and get involved today. Let's make this a movement to remember!
