PARC Against DARC

PARC Against DARC

Predecessor	PARC - Pembrokeshire Against Radar Campaign (1989–1991)
Formation	PARC Against DARC (2024–present)
Type	Pressure group
Focus	Anti-war, peace
Headquarters	Pembrokeshire
Location	Wales
Region served	United Kingdom
Website	https://www.parcagainstdarc.com/

PARC Against DARC is a campaign organisation which launched in May 2024 with the intention of stopping UK Ministry of Defence military plans to build one of three of the United States Space Force Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) Radar installations at Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy in Pembrokeshire, west Wales. The Campaign includes some major national organisations such as CND, Stop the War Coalition, Extinction Rebellion UK and The Peace and Justice Project, as well as many local businesses as some of its official supporters.

The Campaign's predecessor; PARC (Pembrokeshire Against Radar Campaign) was originally set up in 1990 when the US Military attempted to build a similarly located Over-the-horizon radar installation on the Dewisland peninsula then. However, the PARC Campaign was so successful and achieved such strong support both locally and nationally that in 1991, the Conservative government were forced to publicly announce cancellation of the project.

With some of the original PARC campaigners actively involved, the newly rebranded campaign PARC Against DARC held its digital launch in May 2024, with a public launch meeting taking place in Solva, near St Davids the following month in June.

2024 Campaign Launch

Digital Launch

On 29 May 2024 PARC Against DARC held their digital launch of the revamped campaign. Simultaneously launching the PARC Against DARC website, a Crowdfunder, a petition as well as their Facebook and other social media pages. The soft launch was covered in several local and national press articles in which the campaign stated that DARC, if built would be "One of the most health-hazardous, tourism-ruining, skyline blighting military installations ever proposed anywhere in the UK." Also posing the question: "When did Dewisland, Pembrokeshire or humankind ever vote for the US military to control all of space?"

Anti DARC campaigners hold up NO RADAR signs in 2024 replicating 1990 historic meeting

Public meeting

On June 27 a Public launch meeting was held at Solva Memorial Hall. It was reported that the meeting was packed to the rafters as up to 200 concerned residents attended the meeting, filling the venue to its capacity. The meeting was live-streamed and opened with the screening of a 'movie trailer style' Campaign launch video. Speeches were given highlighting the key campaign arguments against DARC which focussed on potential health dangers of the radars themselves, damage to local tourism and ecology as well as house prices. A spokesperson for CND Cymru spoke of the implications this increased militarism in Wales could result in. Attendees were urged to lobby their elected representatives at all levels of government and to get involved with the campaign. The meeting concluded with a recreation of a historic PARC meeting from the 1990s with everyone holding up 'No Radar' signs.

Public Protests

PARC Against DARC campaigners hold People's Exhibition and protests outside MOD events.

The People's Exhibition and protests at MoD Public Consultation Events

On 13 and 14 September 2024 the campaign held a series of protests outside the MOD's public consultation events in Solva and St Davids respectively. Holding a counter event themed 'The People's Exhibition' which consisted of the campaign's own information boards, DARC opponents also grilled the MOD spokespeople inside the venues, later referring to the MOD Public Engagement exercises as "PR exercise", and reported in the press saying that it had so far been a 'gross failing' in terms of their public engagement obligations under 'National Principles of Public Engagement in Wales'.

Several media outlets reported the Campaign having said that the consultation meetings had been an “Utter Shambles” where the so-called experts had given contradictory answers to the same questions, however if quizzed they would then say they “Didn’t know” or that “they couldn’t answer”. One top military officer had been asked if he would stand near one of the Radars himself and had been heard to say; “No, I wouldn’t stand next to one, that’d be like putting my head in a microwave”.

Political impact

The campaign exerted significant pressure on political candidates in the run up to the 2024 UK General Election when it issued a 'Candidate Challenge' to the 15 general election candidates standing in both the local Ceredigion Preseli and the Mid and South Pembrokeshire Parliamentary constituencies. Plaid Cymru candidates Cris Tomos and Ben Lake MP both offering to support a High Court Hearing against DARC. Similarly, Wales Green Party and its candidates publicly supporting the campaign.

At the Plaid Cymru national conference on 11 October 2024 the party voted on a PARC Against DARC motion to officially oppose and work towards stopping DARC. Presented by Mabon ap Gwynfor MS and supported by former MEP Jill Evans the motion was passed by the conference unanimously. Covered widely in local and national press the vote was reported as a significant moment that would raise the stakes for Welsh Labour to U-turn on their possition prior to it becoming a pivitol issue in the 2026 Senedd election.

History

Early Satire in the local letters pages

The original Pembrokeshire Against Radar Campaign (PARC) was formed in March 1990 with the aim of stopping a proposed Over-the-horizon radar installation which was to be sited at the former St Davids Airfield near St Davids and within the National Park, the campaign ran until April 1991, at which point the government cancelled all plans for the Radar.

Plaid Cymru 2,000 strong Rally for PARC - Western Mail July 16, 1990

To build support for the campaign PARC wrote to every MP in Britain. They also set about writing to elected representatives at every level of government including 100’s of Councillors as well as Senators in the US, they wrote to Clergy people and scientific experts. A packed meeting was held in Solva Memorial Hall and a specialist in the field who PARC had drafted in named Roger Coghill explained to the meeting that if the radar ever went ahead there would need to be evacuations of the surrounding population to form safety buffer zones due to the unsafe levels of radiation which would be omitted. This, along with many other concerns raisned at the meeting was enough to turn the local population against the proposed radar and the ensueing public pressure meant that the local Tory MP Nicholas Bennett, was forced to raise questions in Parliament.

A petition was handed in person to the UK Government. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, visited Haverfordwest in order to try to stem the flow of opposition to the Radar. By now the entire county and all the local papers had got behind the campaign.

By mid 1990 PARC had become a very organised campaign and began organising protests & fundraising events. They held concerts themed ‘Rock Against the Radar’ as well as fundraising walks, car boot sales, social get togethers & Jumble sales. Plaid Cymru who were fully behind the campaign, helped to organise a protest march and procession. People travelled from all corners of Wales and beyond to attend the demonstration in which 2,000 people marched from St Davids Cathedral to the proposed site of the Radar. One of the speakers was the well known Welsh Nationalist politician and singer Dafydd Iwan who sang Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.

Before long PARC had gained support from Neil Kinnock, the then Leader of the Opposition as well as a huge number of local businesses, Town Councils, Church groups and campaign organisations. CND Cymru, Nuclear Free Zones Welsh Forum, Friends of the Earth along with 7 local Community Councils, 30 MP’s and 5 from the House of Lords got behind the campaign. The Council for National Parks even joined their ranks. The campaign eventually became international with people lobbying US congressmen and The Bishop of Massachusetts even wrote a strong letter of support to the Archbishop of Wales.

By late April 1991 the Government eventually called time on the radar citing the efforts of PARC as one of their reasons for abandoning their plans. The Minister for Defence Procurement issued a statement in the press which read "we have been reviewing our equipment and have decided not to proceed with this project." The Prime Minister was also quoted in the Western Mail under the headline "Radar Battle Won" on 27 April saying: "The Government was looking for savings across the range of defence activities."

The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park of which the proposed site had been within, would later honour PARC with an award “for its role in protecting the health, landscape, tourism, environment and security of the Pembrokeshire coast.”