Aberporth, Militarisation, and the Cost We All Carry
The meeting in Aberporth was well attended, with more than twenty people in the room — a strong turnout for a community rightly concerned about being linked to a Russian strike‑map circulated by Dmitry Rogozin, the former Russian Deputy Prime Minister. His map identified 23 UK defence‑related sites as potential targets. While the exact list was not officially published, Aberporth’s drone‑testing facilities fit the profile of the sites named, and residents are justified in taking that risk seriously.
The only political party that showed up was the Green Party, which says a great deal about who is willing to stand with communities facing militarisation on their doorstep.
A police officer entered the meeting, explaining that he had received a call at 4:30 instructing him to attend. Under Welsh policing rules, officers may attend public meetings if they believe there is a safety concern — but they have no right to remain if organisers ask them to leave. He did leave when asked, yet several people were unsettled by his presence and behaviour. Whether intentional or not, it carried the familiar undertone that communities organising against militarisation are being observed. It is a quiet pressure tactic many of us recognise.
Another important point raised — and one that cannot be separated from this discussion — is the connection between drone development in the UK and the violence we see in Gaza and Lebanon. Many of us have lived under drones or witnessed their impact. I have seen them myself in Lebanon, and we all know the role drones play in Gaza: surveillance, intimidation, and lethal strikes. When weapons are developed or tested here, the consequences do not stay here. Communities abroad pay the price, and now communities in Wales are being told to accept the risk as well. Some people in the room said they “had no problem” with the drone programme, but for those of us who have lived under drones, or watched them used against our people, it is impossible to separate local militarisation from global harm. Aberporth is not isolated from Gaza or Lebanon — it is part of the same chain of militarised decisions.
Despite the unease, the meeting was powerful. People spoke openly, shared concerns, and agreed to meet again. The comrades there were principled, grounded, and committed — the kind of people you recognise instantly as part of the same struggle, even if you don’t live in Aberporth yourself.
And that is why I was there. We cannot be pro‑Palestine in one hand and indifferent to Aberporth in the other. Militarisation abroad and militarisation at home are two faces of the same system. What happens in Aberporth affects all of us — our safety, our rights, and our ability to resist the normalisation of war.
Even though I don’t live there, I feel it is my responsibility to stand with them. Because at the end of the day, we are all affected.
I have shared this video with you as testament to the drones being developed in Wales being used illegally and certainly not “defensively” by the occupation. This was filmed only Yesterday in Lebanon and is typical of the use of drones by these psychopaths