Issue and Opponent: Greenham Commons outside Newbury, England, was purchased in 1939 by the Newbury District Council for public use of Newbury inhabitants, including the collection of firewood. In 1979 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization ) bought the land from the British government for the building of a military base that would house 96 Tomahawk Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCMs). This action by NATO was part of a larger Cold War strategy by the U.S. to deploy small mobile nuclear missiles at air force bases throughout Europe in the event of hostile action by the Soviet Union.
Dilemma Action: In 1981, a group of women activists began to occupy the land with varying acts meant to advance their cause. They engaged in several D.A.s, but in this one case, they chose to gather on the anniversary of NATO’s decision to place U.S. missiles in Europe. They formed a human chain in protest. In a further symbolic move, 50,000 women held up mirrors to the military crews, forcing them to ‘reflect’ on what they were doing. This was part of a huge human chain protest created to contrast human life versus the missile base.
Outcomes: The women were regularly harassed by the military, but many of their actions got good media. The women were often considered disruptive and were not appreciated by certain local inhabitants, but media coverage suggests that their actions did appeal to a broad segment of the public. The harsh treatment and arrests they endured generally garnered sympathy –especially because they were women. Eventually, the missiles were removed. This action occurred over various years and only fully ended in 1987.