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Weedons
Sept 30, 2021 21:24:28 GMT 12
Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 30, 2021 21:24:28 GMT 12
AMERICAN CAMP AT R.N.Z.A.F. STATION, WEEDONS.—Work on accommodation and facilities for members of the United States Antarctic expedition is well advanced at Weedons. Prominent in this aerial photograph of part of the Air Force station are tent huts soon to be occupied by the Americans. The huts are set on concrete blocks and have canvas roofs. Last week a £22,840 contract was signed in Christchurch for the construction of the camp, which the Americans plan to occupy on September 25, and also for facilities at the Harewood airport. PRESS, 18 SEPTEMBER 1956
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Weedons
Aug 7, 2022 15:10:11 GMT 12
Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 7, 2022 15:10:11 GMT 12
Some rum goings on at Weedons and Harewood back in the 1970s!
This from The Press, 26 March 1973:
Police arrest 23 during demonstrations
Twenty-three persons were arrested on Saturday—mainly for failing to move away from areas when told by the police to do so—during demonstrations outside the R.N.Z.A.F. base at Weedons and near the entrance to Christchurch Airport, organised by the Committee Against Foreign Military Activities in New Zealand.
The police, who with about 450 men on duty well outnumbered the demonstrators, were at various times the targets for jeers, taunts, thrown fireworks, and barrages of stones—which resulted in one police constable suffering a cut forehead.
Two of those arrested on Saturday afternoon were found io have toxic chemicals, more severe in effect than tear gas, in their possession—and on Saturday evening a home-made bomb was found near the United States Navy support force headquarters.
“The actions of the demonstrators, together with their arsenal, leaves us in no doubt that large-scale violence and damage were intended by some of them,” said the head of the Christchurch police district (Chief Superintendent G. Tait) yesterday. Chief Superintendent Tait said last evening that some, but not all, of the persons arrested had sought their release on bail. Ordinarily, persons arrested on charges of obstructing the police or disorderly conduct would not be granted bail before a court hearing, said Mr Tait. However, the decision would depend on the circumstances.
Referring to the retention of the arrested demonstrators in the police cells, he said “We had good reason to believe that people who might have been bailed would return to the rest of the demonstrators and they might have caused further trouble.”
The police decision not to allow the demonstrators near buildings, particularly the buildings at the United States Navy support force headquarters, was justified, Mr Tait said. “It is apparent that if police planning had not been so thorough, more injury and damage could have occurred,” he said. “Police staff worked very long hours under very trying conditions.”
"The police had considered it necessary to erect a roadblock on Memorial Avenue on Saturday afternoon so that property could be adequately protected, law and order maintained, and access way to Christchurch Airport be kept clear for emergency vehicles and passengers, and those travelling to and from the airport, Mr Tait said.
Arrival by bus The Committee Against Foreign Military Activities in New Zealand objects to the United States Navy Antarctic support force’s base at Christchurch Airport, and the United States Navy radio facilities at Weedons. The demonstration at Weedons on Saturday morning was generally quiet. The demonstrators arrived in cars and four buses, and were handed leaflets by the police telling them the base was out of bounds, and showing the boundaries.
For part of the time a Royal New Zealand Air Force Sioux helicopter hovered overhead. A large body of police and Air Force men were positioned inside the base perimeter, but apart from throwing firecrackers among the police and hurling taunts, the demonstrators — who included several persons seen at most Christchurch demonstrations, and others brought from the North Island for the occasion — confined themselves to walking round part of the perimeter.
When the bus and carloads of demonstrators arrived at Christchurch Airport in the afternoon, they found Memorial Avenue blocked off by hurdles near the airport service station, and police throughout the area. The police lines would let nobody pass. A reporter had to call on the aid of Mr Tait to get through, and the manager of the White Heron Hotel (Mr L. Wilkinson), trying to return to the establishment, was not allowed to pass. Many police had been in the area since the previous day. The demonstrators were told they could not enter the airport, or base area—and those who went to the United States Navy compound on Orchard Road found a double line of police; across the road there as well. Three helicopters hovered overhead. When the demonstrators failed to clear a traffic lane on Orchard Road after two police requests, a column of police marched to one side of the road, linked arms, and pushed the demonstrators off it. Some demonstrators who tried to slip back across the road were arrested.
Windows broken Stones flew, and one or two policemen lost their helmets. Again, firecrackers were thrown among the police and a fireworks rocket passed close to a helicopter. Stones were thrown at both the police and the United States Navy and Military Airlift Command buildings, and several windows were broken. Eventually, a line of police, moved along Orchard Road and cleared it completely.
Soon afterwards demonstrators gathered opposite the Military Airlift Command buildings, and a barrage of stones — many as big as a fist — were directed at the police behind the compound fence, and the buildings. Windows were shattered, and the police had to duck about to avoid being hit. Finally, the demonstrators returned to the Memorial Avenue barriers, where they were warned to leave within three minutes. Most did. A few remained, and were arrested. Police remained on duty throughout the night.
Parties of demonstrators returned on Saturday evening to Weedons and Christchurch Airport — where there was still a strong police watch — and staged further demonstrations, resulting in a gate at Weedons being broken, and 13 persons. including a woman, being arrested.
Future plans The demonstrators are known to have spent most of yesterday morning and afternoon at the University of Canterbury Students’ Union at Ilam discussing plans for future activities against the American military presence in New Zealand.
Of the toxic chemicals found in the possession of two demonstrators Mr Tait said yesterday: “Some of this was in liquid form, and after a preliminary examination it is believed that this chemical is of a type which affects the nervous and respiratory system.
“It is used as a sterilising agent in glasshouses and is more severe in its effects than tear gas. The amount I found was about enough to 'incapacitate 300 men,” Mr Tait said.
A German Shepherd dog seen in the vicinity on Saturday afternoon was under the control of someone in the demonstration group, Mr Tait said. “This point is made in case the impression is given that the police were using dogs on demonstrators,” he said.
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Post by tbf2504 on Aug 7, 2022 15:21:54 GMT 12
That was an interesting situation in that the RNZAF personnel deployed to guard the facility of course had no powers of arrest or detention. Therefore, a policeman was positioned at regular intervals to arrest anyone coming in over the fenceline. However, the instructions given to us were that if we "accidentally" tripped and sat on a infiltrator until the policeman could get to them, then that was okay!
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Weedons
Aug 7, 2022 15:46:33 GMT 12
Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 7, 2022 15:46:33 GMT 12
It must have been a baffling time back then when the groups of protestors who proclaimed they were about peace were carrying bombs and chemical weapons, when the US base they were protesting against had nothing more than a scientific purpose. Even more retarded that some of those "geniuses" in the protest movement went on to gain power in government and council positions around NZ.
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Weedons
Aug 7, 2022 20:00:38 GMT 12
Post by camtech on Aug 7, 2022 20:00:38 GMT 12
There were similar threats were being made 1982-3. I spent a night out at Weedons with some 2TTS students on sentry duty. IIRC this went on for three or four days.
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Weedons
Aug 7, 2022 22:26:11 GMT 12
Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 7, 2022 22:26:11 GMT 12
I am guessing these protesters must have got their notions into their heads at the universities through communist leaning subversives?
Most ordinary Kiwis would either see the US bases for what they actually were rather than some warped idea of a threat, or just not given a shit.
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Post by aircraftclocks on Aug 7, 2022 23:29:11 GMT 12
I was one of the 2TTS students who had the pleasure of spending a night at Weedons. We were issued military arrest warrants for the occasion. If the protestors got past the police and over the boundary fence, then they became our problem. We were advised that once we had dealt with them, we were then to return them to the other side of the fence for the police to take action. A very quiet night it turned out to be.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 8, 2022 0:19:03 GMT 12
MAGISTRATE'S COURT Charges arising from demonstration
A police sergeant told Mr F. G. Paterson. S.M., in the a Magistrate’s Court yesterday, that he, 10 constables, and Royal New Zealand Air Force men had been under a barrage of stones thrown by demonstrators at Weedons on March 24.
Sergeant P. R. Kavanagh, who was giving evidence at a hearing of charges against 13 persons, arising from incidents at the R.N.Z.A.F. base at Weedons on March 24, during a demonstration, said that he himself had been struck on a leg by a stone.
Michael Dennis Patrick Dobson, aged 18, Dennis Leslie Galler, aged 19, Christopher Paul Suggate, aged 20, Timothy Martin Sheppard, aged 23, Bruce Keith Robinson, aged 20, Neil Edward Pearce, aged 19, James Brainsford Beard, aged 19, Lloyd James Bathurst, aged 18, Geoffrey Hardy Adlam, aged 19, and Kenneth Francis Howell, aged 21, appeared on charges of wilfully damaging a gate valued at $150, the property of the Defence Department, and of being members of an assembly of three or more persons who with intent carried out a common purpose of damaging property. All have pleaded not guilty.
Mr S. G. Erber appeared as their counsel.
Paul Claude Scaife, also appearing on charges of wilful damage and unlawful assembly, was represented by Mr R. H. P. de Wills, and has pleaded not guilty.
Warwick John William Terry, aged 21 (Mr L. G. Holder), is charged with unlawful assembly, and has pleaded not guilty.
One defendant, for whom Mr C. A. McVeigh appeared, had her name suppressed in the interim.
Mr N. W. Williamson appeared for the Crown. Thirteen witnesses will be called.
SERGEANT’S EVIDENCE Sergeant Kavanagh told the Court that he was on duty at the R.N.Z.A.F. Weedons base on May 24, guarding American radio installations in the east paddock of the base. At 9 p.m., several cars arrived on Jones Road, stopping at the south gate.
“I made my way to the south gate with Flying Officer J. D. Brown and two others, where we took up a defensive position, 50 yards to the right of one of the radio installations.” he said. “Twenty persons alighted from four cars and began milling about. Other vehicles arrived, including a van, a Land-Rover, and a motorcycle. Soon after that, a demonstration began.
“One person had a megaphone, and suggested to the crowd to chant an obscene slogan,” Sergeant Kavanagh said. "Spotlights used by the demonstrators were played on to our positions.’’ witness said.
“The installations almost immediately were subjected to a barrage of rocks, including our positions. I then sent my men back, some 15 to 20 yards.”
Witness said he hid behind, a power pole inside the base, and heard a demonstrator call out: “There’s one of them behind the pole.” A barrage of stones then struck the pole, some of them head high, witness said. One of these hit his leg. He produced the stone as an exhibit.
GROUPINGS AT GATE At 9.30 p.m., the demonstrators went off along Jones Road. At 9.45 p.m., they regrouped again at the south gate, where six of them appeared to have a conference. Then a van and a utility vehicle with demonstrators in them drove off in separate directions.
“The remaining demonstrators totalled about 20,” witness said. “They moved off and went towards the main gate area. I saw a flare from a fire that had been lit in the grass. It flared only briefly and then went out.
“At 10.30 p.m., the demonstrators returned to the south gate .... there was a continuous barrage of rocks, some of them thrown towards the radio installations,” Sergeant Kavanagh said. “I heard the smashing of glass. A large installation on a power pole had been broken.”
Sergeant Kavanagh said there were six to eight demonstrators who began removing parts of the fence - round the perimeter of the base. They carried it across Jones Road and dumped it. The demonstrators then moved to the south gate which they smashed down — first by kicking it, then by lifting the gate off its hinges land flattening it.
“As soon as the gate was smashed down, three of the demonstrators ran on to the base and tore down a ‘No Entry" sign,” witness said. “By the time police reinforcements had arrived, the demonstrators had left the area, driving east along Jones Road.”
He had asked for the intersection at Jones and Curraghs Roads be blocked, Sergeant Kavanagh said. On his arrival there, two cars and a motor-cycle had been stopped by a police roadblock.
"After the defendants had been searched, they were arrested,” witness said.
DETAILS OF SEARCH Sergeant Kavanagh said that the defendant Suggate was searched. Stones and some firecrackers were found on his person. A stone was found on the defendant Bathurst. Sergeant Kavanagh said he had searched each vehicle. In one car, which had been driven by Suggate, a wooden stick was found, and, in the glove box, a bottle of insect repellent, a canister containing a substance for repairing punctures and a spotlight. All except the spotlight were produced as exhibits.
Squadron Leader D. A. Brodie, in charge of the Weedons base, gave evidence that he had seen five cars arrive at the south gate of the base at 9 p.m., although because it was dark he could not identify their makes or descriptions. Eight of the prosecution’s 13 witnesses have so far been called. The hearing will continue today, all the defendants being remanded at large.
PRESS, 4 JULY 1973
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