MEDIA STATEMENT
Peace Action Network (Christchurch) 26/2/03

Activists to inspect US military base

A Citizen's Weapons Inspection Team plan to conduct an inspection of the US Airforce base at Christchurch Airport (Harewood) on Sunday March 2.

The inspection, which will be part of a protest against the American-lead war on Iraq, is organised by Christchurch's Peace Action Network. Protesters will meet at the totem poll, at the entrance to the airport at 2 pm.

"The US government has more weapons of mass destruction than any other country. While Hans Blix is wasting his time in Iraq, our Citizen Inspectors will investigate the US base at Harewood," said Peace Action Network spokesperson David Colyer.

The last Gulf War saw the slaughter of over 200,000 Iraqi people. Since then ongoing sanctions and bombings have killed more than one million civilians.

"A new invasion of Iraq will lead to the deaths of thousands of innocent people."

"By hosting a US base in Christchurch, the New Zealand government is providing logistical support to the US war machine and its unjust war on Iraq," said Mr Colyer.

Protesters will be demanding that the Harewood base be demilitarised, and that the New Zealand government end all support for the war.

Peace Action Network believes that ordinary people have the power to stop the war.

"Millions of people protested against war on February 15.

"Two days later the pro-war New York Times compared these protests to the rise of a second 'superpower' of 'world public opinion'."

"We encourage people to become part of the second superpower by joining the anti-war movement," Mr Colyer said.

Sunday¹s protest at Harewood is part of a build-up to the next big march through central Christchurch, which will begin outside the museum at 2pm on Saturday, March 15.

To contact David Colyer

Phone: (03) 3853 646 E-mail: djc@union.org.za

© Scoop Media