Adrian Leason, Peter Murnane and Sam Land - the three Ploughshares who entered the Waihopai spy base near Blenheim and used sickles to cut one of the two 30-metre white domes - were denied bail and will remain in custody until at least Monday, 5th May. [ Update 1 May ]

Statement Of The Waihopai ANZAC Ploughshares

They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation; and there shall be no more training for war. Isaiah 2/4

This morning, 30 April 2008, we entered the Waihopai Spy Base near Blenheim. Our group, including a Dominican Priest, temporarily closed the base by padlocking the gates and proceeded to deflate one of the large domes covering two satellite dishes.

At 6am we cut through three security fences surrounding the domes - these are armed with razor wire, infrared motion sensors and a high voltage electrified fence. Once inside we used sickles to cut one of the two 30-metre white domes, built a shrine and knelt in prayer to remember the people killed by United States military activity.

Read the full statement of the Waihopai ANZAC Ploughshares

Links: Support | Photos | Anti-Bases Campaign | GPJA Congratulations | ABC Congratulates Ploughshares on "a Kick in the Balls" | Do you support having spybases in New Zealand? | Contact and support for Ploughshares Aotearoa | Peace Action Wellington support | Workers Party support

Wellington / Poneke: There will be a rally and march THIS Saturday [3/5/08] starting at 12 noon at Manners Mall going to the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) calling for the immediate closure of the Waihopai and Tangimoana spy bases and the unconditional release of the three activists arrested for deflating the dome covering one of the satellites at Waihopai. Details | Poster

Otautahi / Christchurch: A car convoy will be going to Blenheim to support the 3 arrested activists at their bail hearing on Monday 5th May. Details

Donations can be made to:
Account Name: TE WAIRUA MARANGA TRUST
Account Number: 03-1703-0036346-04
Bank: WestPac

Anti-Bases Tour: Cora Fabros, from the Philippines, has been a high profile activist, domestically and internationally, for more than 30 years with the anti-bases, anti-nuclear and peace movement. As a guest of the Anti-Bases Campaign, Cora will be touring New Zealand in July 2008 as the Asia/Pacific Coordinator of the International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases. [ Details ]

About Waihopai and ECHELON

Green MP Keith Locke is quoted as saying that the base has cost New Zealand up to NZ$500million since 1989. The base intercepts electronic communications throughout the Pacific region including New Zealand and is often staffed by personnel from US agencies.

In 1996 researcher Nicky Hager published an expose on Waihopai and New Zealand’s strong links to the USA-led ECHELON network of six similar spy stations around the world. The United Nations launched an investigation in 2003 to claims that ECHELON had been used by the US government to eavesdrop on UN diplomats and Security Council members. A report published in 2000 showed that ECHELON had also been used by the US to gain commercial advantage for US corporations.

Information gathered at Waihopai is transferred to the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) in Wellington and fed unseen directly to Washington DC.

More on Waihopai: ABC | Peace Researcher