NEWS: 10/10/02
PINE GAP DESERT PEACE PROTEST A SUCCESS
ALICE SPRINGS: The ACMICA affinity group returned
home this week after a successful three day protest outside
the US spy base at Pine Gap near Alice Springs which concluded
on Monday with a peaceful and up-beat rally in town.
Pine Gap is the largest and most important of the 30 or so
US bases operating in Australia whose range strategically
covers most of Asia and the Middle East and will be crucial
to any war against Iraq.
ACMICA members Minh Nguyen and Patrick Lavilles carried
the message "no war; no bases" to highlight the
existence and purpose of the Pine Gap facility in war-making.
The protest attracted a diverse cross section of the Australian
community of around 500 people over the weekend, including
local residents, NGOs, doctors, lawyers, parliamentarians
and students.
"If the purpose of the protest was to 'expose' Pine
Gap, link this facility with the looming war on Iraq, and
build the peace movement in Australia, then this action was
an absolute success." Minh Nguyen said.
"The passion and visions of participants despite the
harsh desert conditions were inspiring. Their creativity and
high spiritedness were marked contrast to the actions of NT
police, the rent-a-crowd Pine Gap supporters and other status
quo enforcers."
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