Protesters paint slogan on frigate

Press, 27 June 1989, Page 6

Protesters paint slogan on frigate

PA Wellington A sea-borne graffiti squad daubed an antifrigate slogan on the 2700ton Australian frigate Torrens in Wellington on Sunday night. The Torrens has been at the port’s overseas passenger terminal since last Friday. The message, “Mr Beazly. The answer is still no,” was written in large black letters along the seaward side of the hull. To add insult to injury, the signwriter misspelled the name of the Australian Minister of Defence, Kim Beazley. Under the proposed Anzac frigate project New Zealand could buy four frigates, built in partnership with the Australians.

Two Torrens sailors in a rubber dinghy sanded and painted over the slogan yesterday morning, while a number of their fellow crew members watched.

The commanding officer, Commander Russ Swinnerton, believed that whoever painted the message used a surfski to get to the ship.

. Commander Swinnerton was not too worried by the graffiti.

“It will make work for my sailors on a cold morning, which is .a bit annoying. We will paint it out and go to sea.”

Commander Swinnerton said this was the first antifrigate protest he had encountered since arriving in Wellington.

“The attitude of the public has been very supportive. From the coverage I saw in Australia I expected there would have been a lot more (anti-frigate protests).” Security on the frigate had not been stepped up, as he did not expect trouble when in a friendly port.

The only thing that could be done to stop anyone approaching the frigate from the sea would have been to station someone at the nearby yacht club to watch the ship and call the police if anything happened.

The Torrens left Wellington for Napier yesterday.