United States spy base in New Zealand

This is a video about the Echelon spying network.

Below is a statement from the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space:

On April 30 at 6am in the morning three Christian activists from “Ploughshares Aotearoa” entered the Waihopai Spy Base and used sickles to deflate one of the two 30-metre radomes covering satellite interception dishes.

The members then built a shrine and prayed for the victims of the war with no end — the so-called war on terror led by the US Empire that also controls the New Zealand taxpayer-funded base.

Samuel Peter Frederick Land, 24, of Hokianga; Adrian James Leason, 42, a teacher from Otaki; and Peter Reginald Leo Murnane, 67, a Dominican friar from Auckland were arrested by police who are considering charging the men with sabotage under the Crimes Act, an offence that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ jail.

Damage to the radome is estimated at more than $1 million.

The three have been granted bail and released and have a June 9 pre-depositions hearing.

Supporters rallied outside the courtroom in Blenheim on May 5 and yelled “What do we want? Waihopai Closed”.

The action has brought worldwide attention to the US spy satellite base in New Zealand and should be a positive boost to the long-standing campaign against the base by the Anti-Bases Campaign in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

The Government has abandoned its attempts to sue a penniless Northland farmer and two other peace activists for $1.2 million. Sam Land, who lives in a self-sufficient community in Whirinaki, South Hokianga, was one of the ”Waihopai Ploughshares” who in 2008 broke into a spy base and slashed one of its two inflatable domes. The trio then prayed and waited to be arrested. The Waihopai spy base, near Blenheim, is operated by the Government Communications and Security Bureau (GCSB). It is believed to be part of the ”Five Eyes” network used by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and USA to eavesdrop on global communications: here.

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• New Zealand Appears To Have Used NSA Spy Network To Target Kim Dotcom (arstechnica.com)
• Dotcom joins rally against GCSB (stuff.co.nz)
• Did New Zealand Use NSA to Spy on Kim Dotcom? (newser.com)
• Thousands join rally against GCSB (stuff.co.nz)
• Vendors question new interception law (zdnet.com)
• NZ protesters condemn GCSB ‘spy bill’ and spooks centre with Pacific targets (pacific.scoop.co.nz)