Peaceniks storm Sydney building

Press, 28 September 1988, Page 10

Peaceniks storm Sydney building

NZPA-AAP Sydney Peace protesters yesterday stormed the State Office Block in Sydney, where the New South Wales Cabinet had just adjourned, calling for the public release of emergency plans in case of a nuclear accident on Sydney Harbour. About half of the group of 20 ambushed the Minister of Police, Mr Ted Pickering, and pursued him to his nearby office, while the remainder eluded security officers and made their way into the Bent Street office block near Circular Quay. Earlier on Sydney Harbour, a peace armada including three New Zealand vessels protested against the arrival of 60 ships from 16 nations visiting Sydney for the Bicentennial Naval Salute. Two protesters were arrested as they attempted, yesterday to disrupt the passage of the American battleship U.S.S. New Jersey. The New Jersey, sister ship to

“Mighty Mo” — the U.S.S. Missouri — was besieged by more than 100 protesters in kayaks, rubber dinghies and yachts. when she arrived. A police spokesman said two men were arrested and charged with disobeying the direction of the Harbourmaster. A third was released after he complied with the direction. The New South Wales Government last week announced the existence of a contingency plan called “Mardap” which puts the Maritime Services Board in control in the event of any accident on the harbour, but refused to release details. A terse Mr Pickering yesterday said citizens did not have a right to know such details because “then the criminals would also know the plan.” “If we told the Sydney public, we would also be telling terrorists how to countermand those plans,” he told his ambushers.

Meanwhile, three police cars went to the State Office Block as protesters made their way to the seventh storey of the building. After some time, a representative of Premier Nick Greiner — who is in Japan during a week-long Asian tour — agreed to meet two delegates. The protesters finally left the building about an hour after their demonstration, no arrest being made. Mr Robert Burrowes, of the Sydney Peace Squadron, said he' was most disturbed by the Government’s refusal to prove there was an adequate contingency plan and was not convinced by the explanation for keeping it secret. “I do not think that terrorists are responsible for nuclear accidents. “Nuclear accidents happen when you have nuclear-armed warships in ports like Sydney Harbour. “In my opinion, the only safe plan

is to not have these ships coming to Sydney,” he said. One of the protesters who met the Premier’s representative, Mr Gareth Smith, said he was concerned about the “great difficulty” in finding someone in authority to speak to in the State Office Block. Anti-nuclear campaigners were concerned that Monday evening’s electrical storm in Sydney could have detonated a nuclear accident, he said. The Paddlers for Peace will make formal complaints against the second ship to enter the harbour yesterday morning, the British aircraft carrier H.M.S. Ark Royal. The former nuclear disarmament Senator, Mr Robert Wood, said the Ark Royal sped through the harbour to Circular Quay at an illegal axJ dangerous pace. It was “foolishness of the most criminal kind,” he said, speaking at the anti-nuclear vigil at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.