Defence Counsel Mike Knowles

The defence table and dock

Adi Leason in the dock

Adi Leason’s testimony.Shortly after the lunch adjournment Adi Leason took the stand and commenced giving his testimony.  His Counsel, Michael

Knowles, led Adi through a description of his life as a Christian, and his story as a teacher, community worker and political activist.

Adrian James Leason is 44 years old, married with 7 children, presently living in Otaki.  He made three of the banners used in the Waihopai ploughshares action.

“USA War on Terror: a Global Disaster”

“400,000 Iraqi Dead Cry NO! to US War on Terror”

“Christians Against ALL Terrorism”

Mr Knowles then took him through those parts of his character and background which led him to making those signs and using them as part of an action to deflate the Waihopai dome.

Adi has been a Christian for 37 years (with a clear recollection of inviting Jesus into his heart aged 7 while attending Sunday school).  He says though that he never really deepened his faith until aged 16 or 17, when he was involved with a local youth house – where he got a clear appreciation of the difficulties facing some young people.  As a result of his experiences he gained a primary teaching qualification while active with Wellington “Youth for Christ”. 

 He began teaching in 1987.

After a time he joined a group called “Youth with a Mission” and travelled through asia.  After recovering from a serious bout of Malaria Adi began work in a refugee camp where he was exposed to a lot of “economic refugees” from Vietnam who’d been battered and scarred by the long war in that country.

He returned to teaching in Wellington and got re-connected with Youth for Christ.  He married Shelley, and they became active in a community centre.  Out of this they moved into a Council High-rise among a community of need, and began working directly with the urban poor.  He worked with the Wellington Association of Tenants, and succesfully took up capaigns against the sale of public housing, and against an increase in rents.

By this point in his testimony Adi is referring to “our family” as an organic unit, and he and Shelley have three children.

After seven years in the high-rise Adi’s family travels to Thailand to live and work in a slum community in Bangkok.  He is there for 9/11, and for the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.  In possibly his most compelling testimony he spoke of seeing the preparation for war: the spending of Billions upon Billions of dollars on the machinery of war and the preparation for killing while the community he lived in was suffering the blight of poverty that money could have assisted.

He spoke directly to the jury at this point about preparation for war being like a train coming inexorably down the tracks, towards a school bus which had broken down on the crossing “and even though the citizens of world in their millions, and the media, and the agencies, were yelling out to the train, warning it about the school bus ahead, and asking it to stop…the train sped up and rolled straight over that school bus.

In 2004 Adi’s family, broke, returns to Aotearoa, and Adi works at conventional teaching jobs again, now with four children and another on the way.  They work to buy a farm at Otaki, and see and see and hear about the unfolding wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through the internet and media.  He feels proud that the New Zealand government refuses to commit combat troops to Iraq, but is painfully aware from the work of Nicky Hager about the spy base at Waihopai, and the vital role it plays in war-making. Baghdad is bombed into rubble.

Through this period he is continuing in his life of faith, and getting to know the Catholic Worker community in Aotearoa.  He meets Peter Murnane and Sam Land.

Adi has become deeply concerned by the failure of legitimate protest, and he believes that secrecy and unaccountability by security agencies and military machines is one reason for this failure in democracy.

Mike Knowles then starts taking Adi through his understanding of the function and impact of Waihopai spy base.  Adi says a lot of his knowledge is based on Nicky Hager’s book “Secret Powers”.  He spells out the global nature of the Echelon network, and begins to detail incidents of commercial and political espionage that Echelon is responsible for, and that Waihopai was probably involved in.

It is when Adi begins to discuss spying on UN Security Council members in 2002 that the prosecution Counsel raises his first objection – which is resolved in the defence’s favour – just minutes before the power in central Wellington goes out and Court is finished for the day.

I felt privileged to be in Wellington District Court to hear the testimony in this case.  The jury was rivetted by the testimony they heard, and the love, compassion and integrity of Adi Leason shone through.  It’s Wednesday morning now, and I’m getting ready to go back and hear the rest of Adi’s story, and the beginning of Peter Murnanes.

May God bless us all.

Cheers
Bryan

End the UK/USA Spy Ring

Supporters gather, Beehive in background

A fabulous beginning.

Around 100 people from Wellington gathered at the Cenotaph next to Parliament house, with banners and signs and an abundance of goodwill.  At 9 am we all processed to the District Court building and sang in support of the 3 defendants.  Adi called on the children and mothers – our future – to come forward for a particular blessing.

Some stayed outside all day maintaining a vigil and public witness, others filled the public gallery to overflowing.

The morning was spent empanelling the jury, instructing the media (one pool television camera has been allowed inside the Court) and there were around 8 media workers witnessing all morning and some of the afternoon.  Judge Harrup instructed the jury on how the trial process would run, and what their duties were.  My first highlight was hearing a judge talk with a Kiwi accent.  My second thrill was hearing the Judge refer to Peter Murnane as “Father”.

Then we had the opening addresses, with Mr Boyd-Wilson opening for the prosecution. He was young, and his presentation of the facts was dry and basic.  He did a good job for what seems in some ways to be an open and shut case.  At the beginning it was “Peter Murnane, the accused”, but Mr Boyd-Wilson couldn’t help himself, and the “Father Murnane”s emerged from his mouth and continued throughout the day.  I think it’s hard to seriously condemn someone you’re calling “Father”.

Because the facts are not being disputed, the real work of the prosecution will lie in knocking down the defences that the Waihopai 3 plan to raise – “necessity”, “self defence” and “claim of right”.

Mr Knowles, representing Adi Leason, opened for the defence in an elegant and eloquent manner.  He told the jury that the defendents would be admitting all the facts, and they (the jury) might wonder why the trial was necessary.  Then he laid it on them:

“This is an exceptional trial.  There are times when law, morality and humanity come together to make would otherwise be unlawful.  Those times are when the preservation of human life is involved.  Human life is no less a human life because it resides in a foreign land, or dresses funny, or has a different skin colour.

“It’s also an exceptional case because it is in the area of foreign intelligence.  Foreign intelligence is the one area of our society where democracy and free process is not allowed to go.  Where there is a Faustian pact between the government and the intelligence agencies.  Where the government says ‘we won’t ask any questions’ – and the intelligence agencies say ‘good!  We won’t tell you any lies

Then Peter Murnane, who’s representing himself showed both his character and his motivation to the jury and said what he will say many times during this trial – that he broke a lesser law to protect the lives and property of others from serious threat by the US military.

That the New Zealand government, by allowing the US to run Waihopai, assists the US to commit the great crimes of

- overthrowing legitimate governments

- waging wars of aggression

- kidnapping and torture

- the widespread use of WMDs, particularly depleted Uranium.

It was in opposition to these crimes that the Waihopai Ploughshares deployed nonviolence in the tradition of the Catholic Workers and Ploughshares actions, makingmanifest the prophecy of Isaiah.

Mr Shaw, for Sam Land brought out the great covenants of international law, and said the defendants were acting nonviolently against such consequences of Waihopai asGenocide, torture, arbitrary detention and the targetting in war of civilian populations. supporters picketed outside GCSB HQ in Moreland St.

During the lunch break

After lunch, the prosecution led all of its eight witnesses, six of whom are Police, along with one GCSB security guard and a local farmer.

Because the facts are agreed, I was mainly interested in what the prosecution testimony revealed about the security state, and about the security at Waihopai.

First, the sophisticated and unbeatable security alarms stop working under some “atmospheric condition” (rain).  So does the electrified fencing.

Second there was fog, either “some passing” or “thickly wrapping” the base.  I’m interested in this because none of the accused saw any fog at all, and think it an excuse made up to cover a poor security performance.  I wonder whether the fog might not have beencreated by God in the minds of state security as he walked with his children into the base (just speculatin’).

Third was the respect and acknowledgement of humanity between all the security/police and the three.  It was clear that all these people share mutual respect.

Fourth and final was the showing of video-taped interviews conducted between Detective Kevin Nicholls and Father Peter Murnane – in which Peter’s humanity, knowledge, commitment and ascerbic wit shine through.  What Peter said to Police on the day is exactly the same as he is saying to the Jury today – and the jury must have been impressed with his integrity and genuine feeling for life and Christian principles.

Which rounded out the day in Court.  Support crew and defendants kept on with organising and networking tasks (and prayer).  In the new morning tomorrow the defence will begin calling evidence.  The trial is expected to last another seven days.

Cheers
Bryan

A beautiful morning in Wellington

Prayer on the path to peace.

As the Waihopai Ploughshares head to trial tomorrow one of the defendents, Fr Peter Murnane, officiated at Mass this morning at the shrine outside the US Embassy.  About 40 came to worship and make communion with the body of Christ.

In his homily, Peter reflected on the nature of peace, and how it rests on the principles of repentance for wrongdoing, forgiveness of sin, and love for God and each other.  He drew attention to the Embassy and how the people living and working in it were in a state of constant fear- as shown by the weapons, defences and architecture of a building in the otherwise sweet sunshine and clear air of a beautiful Wellington day.

a reading from Paul's letter to the Corinthians

He contrasted that with the trees, grass, and living nature of the park in which God’s presence burned everywhere with green fire, and where we gathered to give thanks and praise.  He reminded us that God was also present in the hearts of those who worked for empire, and that our work as peace-makers was one of transformation rather than condemnation. 

So that while we might work to stop the military machine, and stop the bad behaviour of empire, the key aspect of our work was transformational as we called on God to restore the joy and clean hearts of all the Embassy personel, of ourselves, and of each other.

Then we made communion and prayed.

» Read more: Mass for Waihopai/Ploughshares

5.00 pm Wellington time, Saturday 6 March 2010

The shrine Adi built

Proceedings are under way for the trial of the Waihopai Dome-busters – Peter Murnane, Sam Land, and Adrian Leason.

Around 100 people (50 from Wellington, 50 from other parts of Aotearoa, and a couple of ring-ins from Australia, gathered at the Katherine Mansfield Park, in front of the US Embassy, to be welcomed by local Maori leaders.  The Embassy is typical of the Imperial American style, cameras, guard posts, steel bollards, high security fences and lots of reinforced concrete. 

On this beautiful Wellington evening the US Ebassy looked ready for war, even in this far flung outpost.

Katherine Mansfield Park has swings, trees, lawn, shrubbery and pedestrian pathways.  Today a shrine was added, created under the leadership of Adrian Leason, one of the defendents who face trial on Monday. 

 The shrine is a thing of beauty and power, proclaiming love, hope, and nonviolence as the future of humanity.

Talking Maori

The welcoming ceremony was conducted in Maori language, and the only words I could understand were “America”, “Afghanistan”, “Iraq”, and “Waihopai”.  It was explained to me that the welcome involved the visitors proclaiming their identity, presence and purpose, with the locals then reflecting on the river, mountain, and land before cohering with and welcoming the visitors.  The speaking sure sounded powerful.  Then everyone rubbed noses in a ritual circle.

» Read more: Maori Welcome for peace activists

There’s a new peace group in Cairns.

A bunch of us has met twice now, and we’ve talked about how to stop US warships from visiting Cairns.

Margaret, Steve, Rob, Mike, Paul, and I have made decisions about the what, how and who of taking effective action.   Trish, Sarah, Polly, Carla, Jonathon and Stu will join in the training, and the support/action.  We are going to make the US Navy’s job a lot harder every time they come to Cairns.

We’re meeting again on 3 March to move the costumes forward (penguin/stinger suits), and decide on a training program and public launch.

We have three swimmers, a media guru, a techno-geek, a community artist, and a bunch of otherwise ordinary folk willing to witness, support and organise.  We’ll take dramatic and effective NVDA every time a US warship arrives.  We’ll use that NVDA to spread the word and build the movement.

Our action will be to swim out in front of arriving US warships – to make them stop and wait while Queensland water Police clear us out of the way.  With three swimmers, all of whom will non-cooperate (and two of whom will be fit), it ought take Police an hour or more to do that job.  For that hour, the US Navy ship will be vulnerable.  Under tow in a foreign civilian port.

A big and important warship – like the USS Blue Ridge – might be kept vulnerable for several hours.

If we can achieve these modest goals the US Navy will stop coming to Cairns.

Good!

» Read more: Penguins for Peace

Beating Swords into Ploughshares

Last Saturday I went to Brisbane for gathering of Catholic Workers and friends.  The guest of honour was a 69 year old Dominican friar, Fr Peter Murnane.  Peter was born in Cobden, western Victoria.  He’s spent the last eighteen years living in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In April 2008 Peter was one of three Catholic Worker activists who, calling themselves ANZAC Ploughshares, broke into the US run Waihopai spy base outside Blenheim in the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. After they broke in they deflated a radome, exposing the satellite dish within. Waihopai is a ground receiving station for space-based signals and electronic “intelligence”, which is then fed into the US “Defence” (war-fighting) system.  The other Catholic Workers are young organic farmers, Sam land and Adi Leason.

Peter Murnane says the information collected at Waihopai is also used to identify people for the US “extraordinary rendition” program where suspected “terrorists” are kidnapped and tortured in CIA black ops.  Waihopai is part of the Echelon eavesdropping program of US intelligence.

When the ANZAC Ploughshares deflated the Waihopai dome, they not only exposed the role of that spy base in waging global war – they also showed how it’s possible for human beings to act directly and effectively against war.

Exercise Talisman Sabre is 22,000 Australian and US troops studying and practicing war.  Practicing to invade someone else’s country. 

My 2009 was an experiment in faith-based affinity groups carrying out interventionary NVDA.  Small groups of Christian and/or Gandhian activists started arriving in Yeppoon on July 1 to carry out acts of  resistance against the war games, and against the wars Australia is now engaged in.  As a support base we created the Martin Luther King Jr House of Christian Nonviolence at Yeppoon (try saying that quickly with a mouthfull of wheatbix).   

During July 2009 there were two other major components of a “Peace Convergence” that mobilised both broad opposition to the war-games and community support for implementing a culture of peace.  They were the Committed to Change Festival (C2C) at Byfield (July 4-6), and the Peace Convergence held in Rockhampton and Yeppoon (July 10-12). 

There were support and solidarity actions in most capital cities in Australia. 

This article is an attempt to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of what happened around Exercise Talisman Sabre in July 2009, and speculate upon how our actions might be made better in the future

» Read more: Talisman Sabre 2009 – the Resistance, in context with the Convergence and the Celebration.