Chch peace groups active at week-end

Press, 12 March 1984, Page 9

Chch peace groups active at week-end

Christchurch peace groups had a busy time at the week-end, mounting demonstrations at Harewood on Saturday and at Lyttelton yesterday. About 100 people attended a demonstration at the United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, headquarters on Saturday afternoon, organised by Citizens for the Demilitarisation of Harewood. A spokesman for the group, Mr Murray Horton, said that the protest was about the use of Harewood as a military base, which made Christchurch Airport a target for nuclear attack. The demonstrators laid a wreath at the totem pole at the airport and formed a human chian stretching from the United States mili-

tary aircraft command to the support force headquarters. A scroll and mock oneway air tickets home for 40 United States personnel at the base were left at the headquarters’ door. About 15 people camned in five tents outside the headquarters on Saturday night, and some remained there last night. To mark the demonstration, signs were erected along Memorial Avenue describing the extent of damage if there were a nuclear attack at the airport. Mr Horton said that many of the signs were destroyed by vandals during the afternoon. About 30 representatives of Christchurch peace groups protested at Lyttelton yesterday afternoon while soldiers from Burn-

ham Military Camp boarded H.M.A.S. Tobruk. The vessel will leave Lyttelton today to take part in a R.I.M.P.A.C. exercise at Great Barrier Island. Mr Peter Stocker, of the Sumner Peace Group, said that one incident occurred during the protect when a man whom he believed to be a soldier in civilian dress attempted to grab one of the protesters’ banners. The protesters had a discussion with the man and there was no further problem. Mr Horton said that the protest at H.M.A.S. Tobruk was organised because a plan to hold a mock nuclear blast at Burnside Park was abandoned after the Waimairi District Council had refused permission for it.