Protesters head for Carterton (From Witney Gazette)

Protesters head for Carterton

9:00am Wednesday 29th November 2006 in Witney By Rosalind Miles

BUSINESSES fear hundreds of peace protesters marching through their town will disrupt trading on a vital Saturday before Christmas.

Up to 1,500 peace activists from CND, Stop the War, and Greenpeace are expected to converge on Carterton on Saturday.

They are to march up Brize Norton Road, lay flowers at the RAF camp entrance, and go on to Alvescot recreation ground. The protesters have paid a deposit to the town council in case any damage is done to the recreation ground.

Phil Scott, town mayor and Chamber of Trade chairman, said: "It'll disrupt the town right before Christmas, and traders are worried it'll frighten people from coming into town to shop. But the way the protesters have gone about it has been very amicable, and we are working together to make sure it goes off all right. They won't have given us the deposit if they intended to do any damage."

Lester Giles ok, a town councillor who runs Giles Sports, Toys and Cycles, said: "As a trader, I am annoyed they had to pick Carterton to march through on a Saturday just before Christmas.

"The main roads will all be closed, and we are in just the wrong place for having thousands of people march past. They are supposed to be peaceful but you never know what might kick off. Still we open all day, business as usual."

"It'll disrupt the town right before Christmas, and traders are worried it'll frighten people from coming into town to shop. But the way the protesters have gone about it has been very amicable, and we are working together to make sure it goes off all right."

Phil Scott, Carterton mayor

Jenny Peart, manager of Ragamuffin, in Alvescot Road, said: "A lot of people come in from out of town, and with the road being closed, they won't be able to park behind the shop. They won't get near. Local people won't want to come into town at all. A Saturday is the busiest day. It is very, very annoying."

Kate Hudson, chairman of CND, said: "We want to have British troops to be brought home from Iraq. But our attitude is in no way hostile to the troops, or their families. Many troops are flown from RAF Brize Norton to Iraq, that is why we felt Carterton was an appropriate place to make a protest. It will be a peaceful protest, with great respect for the local community."