Spy base protest canned amid Omicron fears

The Waihopai spy base protest will not go ahead as Covid force organisers to assess public health risks.

The Anti-Bases Campaign (ABC) committee held an urgent e-mail meeting at the weekend after the whole country was moved to the red traffic light level and came to the decision to cancel the protest for the first time since 1988.

And despite the big white balls, the radomes housing the large spy satellite dishes, being dismantled this year organisers say the battle will continue.

In a media release, the protest organisers say they will continue their action until the whole base has been dismantled.

“Rest assured that this is not the end of ABC's campaign to close the Waihopai spy base,” the release says.

“But the base will carry on spying. And we'll carry on campaigning for its closure.
“The whole spy base needs to be decommissioned and dismantled.”

Scheduled for this Saturday, the protest usually attracts about 50 people from across the country.

Organisers say they could have gone on with the protest, but the more important question was whether they should.

“On obvious public health grounds, and because of the risk to people concerned [the protest will be cancelled] - particularly as the South Island's first community Omicron cases are in the province next door to Marlborough.”