PARC Against DARC, the campaign group opposing the US military’s proposed controversial DARC radar array in Pembrokeshire has held a rally in support of Plaid Cymru’s recent decision to call in the planning decision to now be arbitrated by the Welsh Government itself.

The demonstration at County Hall, Haverfordwest had been planned to coincide with Pembrokeshire Council’s planning committee meeting which was set to discuss DARC on Tuesday, July 28.

However, the protest was re-imagined as a vigil in light of the decision being taken out of PCC’s hands recently

Attention was also paid to sitting South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell who broke what campaigners have documented as a ‘long silence on DARC’ by releasing a public statement in support of the US military proposals and criticising Welsh Government for calling in the decision on the application of global military significance.

In a group photo, attendees outside County Hall - the home of Pembrokeshire Council - wore ‘Tufnell’ masks on sticks which they had dubbed as ‘Toffsicles’ in a quip in the direction of his ‘aristocratic background’ - describing him as a ‘parachuted in MP from England who knew nothing about local issues’.

A sign, which asked "Where's Toffnell?” was also displayed.

A spokesperson for the campaign group said on the Labour MP: “Tufnell is clearly very far out of his depth on this issue and obviously hasn’t even taken the time to do any of his own research or keep up to date with current facts.

“Instead he shows his political naivety, wading in to make boilerplate statements on a topic he clearly doesn’t understand, and reeling out MOD taking points such as the incredibly tired ‘jobs argument’ which we have irrefutably debunked as a completely false and misleading rhetoric.

PARC Against DARC, the campaign group opposing the US military’s proposed controversial DARC radar array in Pembrokeshire has held a rally in support of Plaid Cymru’s recent decision to call in the planning decision to now be arbitrated by the Welsh Government itself.
PARC Against DARC has held a rally in support of Plaid Cymru’s recent decision to call in the planning decision to now be arbitrated by the Welsh Government itself. (PARC Against Darc)

“It’s not like this is some small application for an industrial unit or shed at Brawdy the MOD is applying for. The stated aim of DARC is for the United States to use projects like DARC to militarily dominate all of space, so it is simply laughable that Tufnell is spinning the MOD’s line that Welsh government shouldn’t have intervened in a proposal of blatantly national and international significance, as it was completely right to do.”

Demonstrators also held placards which read: “DIM RADAR” - “NO RADAR” as speeches were heard from campaigners and local peace activists opposed to the radar.

Tim Rees, organiser of Unearthed Festival, kicked off proceedings with Game of Thrones actor Jerome Flynn (who now resides in Pembrokeshire) also addressing the crowd.

Under devolved Welsh powers, the decision now rests with the new Plaid Cymru government to decide on the fate of the US’s DARC radar plans.

Having voted at their Plaid Cymru national conference in 2024 to oppose DARC and laid out several major concerns within their official call-in letter to Pembrokeshire County Council which include landscape, ecology, irreplaceable habitat destruction, high levels of public interest and major potential national security risks, it looks likely that a Cymru Vs. Westminster showdown could loom as the two governments lock horns over the controversial proposal.