Contractors manhandle women protesters

Press, 13 May 1988, Page 1

Contractors manhandle women protesters

By

RODGER KINGSBURY

Women protesters were dragged from earthmoving machinery in an ugly confrontation yesterday with contractors at the Waihopai Valley satellite tracking station site, near Blenheim.

The good humour and tolerance previously shown towards the protesters instantly evaporated in the cold morning air.

Workmen who drove on to the site shortly before 7.30 a.m. showed little regard for the young women perched on graders, tractors and loaders. They quickly tore off the streamers, balloons, flowers and coloured string festooning the machines and drove off through the group with protesters still clinging to the outside.

Those who refused to move from the front of a big loader were dragged clear. Mr John Crouch, a director of

Crafar and Crouch Construction,Ltd, made clear to the group of about 40 women that he and his men were on the job to work and that they intended to carry on. He said later that his company had been strongly criticised for allowing a previous demonstration on the site to delay progress of the work.

The strong and immediate reaction to the protest obviously came as a shock to protesters, some of whom were clearly distressed by their reception and the futility of their efforts to prevent the machines moving.

A spokeswoman for the group said they were distressed by the

aggressive attitude of the contractors.

“We did not want a confrontation like this. We hoped they would call the police,” she said. The group did achieve in part the outcome they sought. The police were called and three young women were arrested after refusing to leave the machines. They were charged with wilful trespass. They were later released on bail to appear in the District Court at Blenheim on May 18. The group plans to continue the protest camp across the road from the base site for the rest of this week and to take part in a national protest at the week-ena.