- Bob Leonard
The American military at Christchurch International Airport (Harewood) was long overdue for a protest. The last time we made a fuss out there was on Airport Open Day in October 1995 (see Peace Researcher 7, December 1995. However, we did give the US Navy a quiet send off in February 1998. We left a small memento, stating “US Navy – good riddance; US Air Force – better riddance”. See PR 15, June 1998, for details).
The organisers of the latest Harewood Airport protest called themselves the Christchurch/Otautahi Coalition Against the War (COCAW). The protest was part of the National Day of Action Against the War on 1 December 2001. The Anti-Bases Campaign (ABC) played a small role in organising it but welcomed the initiative and energy of new folks from groups which included the Anarchist Round Table, Women in Black, Socialist Workers Organisation, Action Research and Education Network of Aotearoa (ARENA), and Food Not Bombs, who took the lead in planning and promotion. They can also take part of the blame for choosing the hottest day of the summer (thus far), a day when the asphalt literally melted under our feet.
The following report was contributed by Daniel Rae, one of the participants in the demo.
“On Saturday December the 1st, as part of the national day of action
against the war in Afghanistan, over 100 protestors gathered at the US military
base at Harewood, Otautahi/Christchurch. The protestors were there to demand
the immediate withdrawal of the US and New Zealand military presence in
Afghanistan as well as the demilitarisation of Harewood. Christchurch Airport
at Harewood is a medium level multi-purpose military transport base that serves
the massive US military/Intelligence bases in Australia, specifically the key
one at Pine Gap. Pine Gap has played a major role in every recent US military
action and will most likely be providing targeting information for the current
war in Afghanistan. To start off proceedings there were short speeches by an
Anti-Bases Campaign representative and a woman from the local Afghani
community. The protestors then marched around the perimeter of the base, but
were prevented from getting to their planned demonstration location in front of
the base because of a Police blockage of a public road. The Police rather
dubiously claimed that the public road was airport land and that if any of the
protestors crossed the barricades they would be arrested for trespass. The
decision was made to halt the march at the Police line and people took the
opportunity to decorate the base fence with brightly coloured pieces of wool
and fabric as well as banners and paper cranes. The road was also covered in
anti-racism, anti-war and social justice slogans by happy chalkers. While these
protestors brightened up the rather drab surroundings, others enjoyed afternoon
tea of coffee, tea and biscuits kindly provided by Food Not Bombs. After about
20 minutes a small number of people decided to breach the Police barricade.
However, they were pushed back and in the process an airport security officer
forcefully removed one person (technically it was assault). Another of the
barrier breakers asked repeatedly to be arrested for trespass but the Police
politely refused to oblige. In the end the protestors marched back to their
starting point and then went home, but not before a number of water bombs
filled with red dye were thrown at the base buildings. The protest was
generally regarded as the most enjoyable and effective action taken by the
anti-war ‘movement’ in Otautahi/Christchurch”.
Christchurch Mayor Supports Roadblock
A few days after the action, Bob Leonard of ABC wrote a letter to the
Mayor of Christchurch, Garry Moore, asking a few questions about the City
Council’s role in the closure of Wairakei Road by the Police. We were
particularly suspicious that the Council and Police had responded directly at
the request of the paranoid Americans. Garry replied and we quote the relevant
parts of this letter here.
“The City had no role in giving any authority for the blocking of this
road. The part of Wairakei Road that the Anti-Bases Campaign wished to walk
along may generally be regarded as a public road but it is in fact a private
road owned by the airport. The airport is partly owned by Christchurch City
Holdings Ltd (which is the holding
company for Christchurch City Council assets. Ed.) and partly by the Crown.
For your information I did ask George Bellew, the Chief Executive of the
Airport Company, to report on the chain of events that led to the closing of
certain areas of the airport, and he comments:
‘The closure of Wairakei Road was not at the
request of the US Government. The Airport Company made the decision after
consultation with the New Zealand Police and the Aviation Security Service.
This is not a new procedure. In the past we have closed certain areas of the
airport to protestors in order to avoid them interrupting and inconveniencing
other airport users. We issue a statement to the Police who then enforce the
restrictions. In this event (December 1.
Ed), we considered this protest could try to breach the airside security
fence. Given the heightened tensions and security levels resulting from the
September terrorist events in the USA, we were not of a mind to take any
chances…The protestors had the opportunity to protest, they were not
inconvenienced by the stoppage of Wairakei Road’.
In the light of international events, and in
view of the onus placed on all airport authorities to take all necessary
security measures to ensure the safety of the travelling public and staff, I
consider that the Christchurch Airport Company Ltd acted in a reasonable and
responsible manner”.
ABC Will Be Taking This Further
ABC will be writing back to the Mayor to make a
few points in response to his letter:
·
In 20 years of
protest at the airport no road has ever been blocked before (we acknowledge
that blockades and other very heavy-handed (brutal) Police tactics were used at
Harewood and other anti-bases demos in the 70s);
·
Neither the
police nor airport security could have had any valid reason to suspect breaches
of the fence along Wairakei Road. If that had been our intention, there were
plenty of stretches of fence along the permitted march route that would have served
our purposes admirably. That excuse is
totally hollow.
·
Blocking the
march prevented the protestors from viewing the most relevant parts of the
American operation – the aircraft on the tarmac. So we were indeed
inconvenienced.
·
Garry Moore did
not comment on the fact that a City employee (airport security) technically
assaulted one of the protestors. He simply said take it up with the Police. We
believe the City Council and its Airport Company has some responsibility in
assuring that its airport security forces act within the law.
Two
Green MPs – Co-Leader, Rod Donald, and Sue Bradford – took part in the protest.
Rod spoke at it and urged everyone to take up the issue of the blocked road. He
was instrumental in getting the matter reported in the Press.
Green MP Keith Locke, also asked Parliamentary Questions of the Minister of
Police, George Hawkins. The latter confirmed that the US military did not
request the roadblock; it was done by the Police in consultation with the
Airport Company. “This was considered prudent risk management” (19/12/01). Ed.
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