Citizens inspection shuts down Pine Gap. : Melbourne Indymedia

Early Friday morning two members of the pacifist group Christians against ALL Terrorism conducted a citizen’s inspection of Pine Gap, causing the U.S. terrorist base to be shut down for four hours. Six hundred employees were not allowed into the base, employee’s cars queued up for kilometers outside the front gate.

Jim Dowling from Daybora and Adele Goldie from Brisbane entered the base undetected and photographed themselves on the roof of a building after cutting through two security fences while hanging a banner (WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? MY BROTHERS BLOOD CRIES OUT TO ME FROM THE EARTH. Gen 4-10 ). Two other members of the group Donna Mulhern from Sydney and Bryan Law from Cairns cut through a perimeter fence and went undetected for an hour before being arrested cutting through a second fence. The four had walked for several hours through desert terrain always following the glow of the Pine Gap Base in the distance.
The two other members of the group Jessica Morrison from Melbourne and Sean Oreilly from Brisbane held a peaceful vigil outside the front gates around six that morning after the arrests had been made. Police searched their vehicle and removed property, when questioned about their actions, Sean O’Reilly was arrested for hindering police. Jessica Morrison was then followed for a two hours by federal police before being taken into custody, but was later released without charge.

In the spirit civil disobedience the inspection was an anti-terrorist exercise. The base has long been closed off to the Australian public and the Australian Government. The group believes Pine Gap to be a terrorist base. The Australian Government has become complicit in terrorism by leasing the land to the U.S., who uses the satellite tracking system to pinpoint targets in Iraq and Afghanistan. 100,000 Iraqi civilians are dead, in a war that has been declared illegal by the U.N. and condemned as immoral by spiritual leaders worldwide.

Christians Against ALL Terrorism began their journey in Brisbane driving a veggie oil fueled van. First stop Rockhampton where they supported the Shoalwater Bay trial and then onto Townsville and Alice Springs. Meetings, vigils, and films were shown and church services attended along the way. The group from the beginning had made public their intention to inspect Pine Gap. They contacted Defense Minister, Senator Robert Hill, asking for permission to inspect the base and then later stating when the inspection would be carried out. The Senator replied by threatening the group with seven years jail under the 1952 defense act. The five will face court this Wednesday in Alice Springs.

Beautiful Photos,
by marcusneofitou@hotmail.com Tuesday December 13, 2005 at 09:53 PM

Surely, this is the action of the year. Very brave - I salute you. The idea of ‘citizens inspections’ disarms the authorities and empowers the public, again well done, thanks.

Very courageous. Inspirational.

Thank you, thank you & again thank you, In Jesus' name Amen

1stCorinthians10:13 Peace be with you all

Ms
by Frances Kendall Wednesday December 14, 2005 at 07:26 PM
franken@optusnet.com.au 07 3343 5753 1/31 Mountain St.,Mt.Gravatt

The Brisbane Quakers have been following your journey and we hope you will let us know the outcome of your caase.

Well done!!!

Shared about your action with a large anti-war meeting in Dublin last night. The meeting was addressed by Cindy Sheehan (U.S.) & Rose Gentle (Scotland), both women who have lost sons in the war on Iraq.

On a day where the state of California executed peace activist Tookie Williams and our good friend Norman Kember remains hostage in Iraq facing execution....news of your nonviolent resistance at Pine Gap brings much hope.

PS Like the album cover photo reminiscent of Devo!

With you all in spirit. Well done.

I totally appreciate the urge to protest, and the right to abhor violence, but did these people really accomplish anything by getting arrested and possibly being sent to prison for seven years? Wouldn’t they make more of a difference out of jail? I understand that it gets their opinion about 5 seconds of publicity, but I would think that there is a bigger picture here. I’m sure that many people see these folks as heroes. I just hope that their families don’t have to live without them for years because of what boils down to a “prank-like” spectacle.

Great action! Way to go, Adele and co.!

Nice one. Solidarity from Oxford England. Thanks for making the effort to highlight what's going on especially when its all in the unpopulated outback, out of sight, out of mind.

To Phil, Liz & Ladon

For every 10,000 words
there's a deed
floating somewhere
head down, unborn.

Word can't make it happen
They only wave it away
unwanted
Yet Child, necessary one
Unless you come home to my hands
Why hands at all?
Your season, your cries
are their skill their reason.
-Daniel Berrigan

Those acting nonviolently and directly against this war are acting on behalf of the future.
Many thanx to the Pine Gap crew.

A better name for Pine Gap

Apparently such facilities aid
the "triangularisation"
of electronic data transfer
via spy/military satellites/bases/craft
and are a key feature in the
spy and military communication networks
of the

At E-Systems headquarters in TexAss, they even put bugs in the toilets to keep an ear on employees conversations there.

nice. good to see the citizens weapons inspection crews still popping up. cheers for the photos too. great work

kia kaha (stand strong)

em
Aotearoa

God be with you guys. You are doing the right thing and history will show that. Donna - great to see your name here.

Blessed ye god botherers.

CHRISTAINS AGAINST ALL TERRORISM,
would like to thank all the people who have supported us leading up to our recent hearing in Alice Springs on the 19th and 20th of April 2006. Below Is a letter from Donna Mulhern with a C.A.A.T. update and links to our story in the media.

Thanks to those people who have supported us and published our material, put it out on the air or put it on their website. Thank you.

Thanks to all those people who put out our press release, published or told our story. Thanks to all those who sent messages of support and those people that came to our hearing in Alice Springs.

Thank you to the people of Alice who showed us great hospitality especially The Arid Lands Environment Centre, Alice Action and Camp Fire In The Heart.

For those people who have accommodated us, organised talks and welcomed us, thank you.

Thank you to everyone who was involved in organising and running the Pine Gap Benefit Gig. Thank you to the musicians that played, the night was great. And thank you for those who so generously supported the gig.

Thank you to all the people who have sent in donations that enables us to continue on.

Please excuse us if you have been left out, we have not included each individuals name, we will attempt to be more personal in the future.

Solidarity
Peace
Bryan Law, Donna Mulhearn, Jessica Morrison, Sean O'reilly, Jim Dowling and Adele Goldie.

People have asked me what they can do to help here is a list of things that you can do, of course it can be added to.

Organise a speaking event for a group of friends, neighbours, or at your local church, school, university or club. If you live in these areas: Sydney (Donna Mulhern), Brisbane (Jim Dowling, Sean O'reilly, Adele Goldie), Melbourne (Jessica Morrison) or Cairns (Bryan Law), we can come and speak and bring information material. A speaking event doesn't need to be a large official event you could hold a BBQ or have a picnic.
Sharing any connections to experienced human rights lawyers/QCs who may wish to advise us.
Writing to Philip Ruddock expressing disappointment at his political interference in Australia's legal system.
Sending funds or organising fundraisers to help with our costs.
Spreading the word about Pine Gap and our action, (we will have a web site soon.)
Writing a letter to the editor of your local paper.
Contacting publications such as magazines, your local community radio, talk- back radio, current affair programs, newspapers and websites to publish the C.A.A.T. story.(We can email you information material)

We are looking for media contacts and publications overseas that may be interested in publishing the story.
Start up your own non-violent affinity group. Who's in your neighbourhood? Most communities have at least one of these institutions: defence recruitment officers, military bases/training areas, armament factories war profiteering companies. The list is very long, Google 'war profiteers' to access comprehensive lists. Pine Gap is only one facility in Australia there are many others that make up the war machine.
We are slowly putting together promotion materials that we would like to distribute widely. If you can help with this, (you could put them in your local community centre, environment centre, church, coffee shop) please leave us with your contact details.
Dear friends

After being arrested for entering Pine Gap military base for a citizens inspection last year, the legal process has now begun with the Committal Hearing held in Alice Springs last week.

The result of the two-day hearing is that four members of Christians Against ALL Terrorism: Jim Dowling, Adele Goldie, Bryan Law and myself have been committed for trial by jury in the Northern Territory Supreme Court. The date for trial will be decided on June 5th.

The committal hearing is just a legal procedure but we used it as an opportunity to call witnesses and question them. We called 15 witnesses, including the Australian chief of Pine Gap, Michael Burgess.

We quizzed him about the activities of Pine Gap, what proportion of the activities are secret to the Australian public and parliament and of a recent visit to the base of US spy chief John Negroponte, a man with a long history of violence and terror.

Burgess stated that Pine Gap’s role includes intelligence gathering and involvement in the missile early warning system. We asked him to confirm if the intelligence gathered at Pine Gap is used for targeting of missiles in Iraq, but his answer to that and many others was that this was “classified infoinformation

A good summary of the two days in court can be found in these AAP reports run on the Sydney Morning Herald website.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/04/19/1145344141128.html

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/04/20/1145344198053.htmlo

you can listen an interview with me on Triple J’s afternoon current affairs show, Hack, by clicking on:

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hack/notes/s1622489.htm

The Pine Gap 4 are now facing a maximum of seven years in prison thanks to Attorney General Phillip Ruddock consenting to charges under the Defence (Special Undertakings) Act of 1952 to be used for the first time.

Below is our press release issued before the committal hearing which give our views on this.

As we prepare for trial we would appreciate your support in the following ways:

- Sharing any connections to experienced human rights lawyers/QCs who may wish to advise us;
- writing to Phillip Ruddock expressing disappointment at his political interference in Australia’s legal system
- Sending funds or organising fundraisers to help with our costs
- Spreading the word about Pine Gap and our action (we will have a website soon)

Our goal is to use this trial to raise the issue of Pine Gap in the Australian community and expose its activities for judgement and accountability. Ultimately we hope that pressure from ordinary Australians will result in American’s being asked to move their infrastructure of war elsewhere so that Pine Gap land can be handed back to its traditional owners who have never consented to it being there.

Your pilgrim
Donna

PS: If you are able to donate towards our costs the account number is: “Sean O’Reilly” Commonwealth Bank, Kippa-Ring BSB: 064-166 A/c number: 102 66104
PPS: “Certainly in relation to identifying specific targets, Pine Gap is important. Pine Gap’s contribution (to the Iraq war) is much more significant than any sending of Australian soldiers.” Michael McKinley, strategic analyst, ANU Canberra

PINE GAP CHRISTIAN ACTIVISTS CHARGED UNDER PREVIOUSLY UNUSED LAW

April 17, 2006

In a political and legal first, Attorney General Phillip Ruddock has made a political decision to legally prosecute four Christian pacifists who broke into Pine Gap military base under a previously unused law.

Northern Territory chief prosecutor, Paul Usher, worked overtime on the Easter weekend to give the four notice of the charges by e-mail, after keeping them in suspense for more than four months.

He chose Easter Saturday to let them know that Attorney General Phillip Ruddock had decided to charge them under the never before used 1952 Defence (Special Undertakings) Act, the decision blurring the separation of political and judicial powers.

This law carries a penalty of seven years jail for merely trespassing on Pine Gap land, as well as two years jail for taking photos. The members of the group are already charged with a number of more usual charges (also carrying possible jail terms) under the Crimes Act.

The four go to court in Alice Springs this Wednesday April 19 to face a committal hearing on all the charges.

The charges all arise from the incident last December when a group of six people calling themselves Christians Against All Terrorism notified the Defence Minister of their desire to inspect the Pine Gap base for terrorist activity as they believed it was being used to provide targeting information for terrorist bombing in Iraq.

When the minister refused they announced their intention to inspect the base anyhow. Despite the warning and the posting of extra security at one of the most sensitive spy bases in the world, two members of the group managed to enter the base and climb on the roof of a building and take photos before being found. An hour later, in broad daylight two other group members walked through the outer restricted area right up to the high security fence and one member started cutting through it before being stopped by the security.

Group member Donna Mulhearn said the government and military are obviously highly embarrassed by the ability of a small group of unarmed, untrained, unfunded Christian pacifists to so easily break their security after telling them we were coming.

“No one can claim the decision to try to punish us severely is not a political decision coming as it does from Phillip Ruddock and not the Public Prosecutor," she said.

"It is quite amazing and perhaps appropriate that they chose the Easter Weekend to make the decision." Donna said. "This is the time all Christians remember the crucifixion and resurrection of the Prince of Peace. We were arrested for peacemaking. We were trying to expose the criminal role of Pine Gap in the slaughter of hundreds of thousands innocent people."

Awesome!! Thank you for what you guys are doing!

You poor, poor excuse for humans. Just look at yourselves. You add nothing of value to society. You bring no objective, healthy arguments. Calling Pine Gap a terrorist base is simply appauling. You will no doubt react to this by saying that the US is an "imperialist, war monger state" however the irony of the matter is that your ability to express your views freely is a direct result of the efforts of the UK USA and AUS over the last 100 years. Go and have a shower, cut your fucking nit infested hair and get your heads out of your arse and realise that you are wrong. So keep conforming to your fad, your "cool" life of worthless protesting. You people have no identity. The sad thing is is that most of you people leech off my Government, haveno idea about the intricacies and complexities of international politics. You think everything is borne from the West. So, so sad.

Hi Eamon, while your comments are insulting and uninformed, I forgive you, 'cos you just seem to be parroting the drivel and dross spread by "your government".

I'm happy to acknowledge it's not "my government". Who'd want it. All it can do is lie, steal, and undermine the democratic values that generations of Australians have struggled for.

As for not understanding politics or international affairs, well, among other things I went and got a Uni degree in those very fields precisely because I felt a need to better understand what's going on.

Happy to debate you anytime, anywhere - as long as you can display some knowledge and not just uninformed prejudice.

p.s. you're way more likely to be sponging off the government than we are.

I am 14 and went to one of your talks with my dad about your attempt to reveal what Pine Gap is really aout. I was inspired and hope to do something similar when i am older.

hi

Eamon is there were more people like you the world would be gone by now.
i am gay

hello, the last comment that was posted by "anthony Whittle" was a joke. i am Anthony's friend and posted it accidently. i am sorry for any inconvienience. please disregard that comment.
thanks

Fluffy