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Shoalwater Bay 10 Court Report

On 30 November 2005, ten peace activists appeared in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court to defend charges arising from Talisman Sabre Military Exercise at Shoalwater Bay near Rockhampton, in June this year.

The court heard that a group of six described as "peaceful" by police held a memorial service for those who had died in Iraq. The service, which included mock coffins, was held inside the entrance to the training facility and prevented the exercise from proceeding as the activists read out names of Iraqi and American dead.

The group argued that the military exercise contravened Australian and international law, including the Anti-landmine Convention Act which prohibits the use of cluster bombs and landmines. The use of such weapons in Operation Talisman Sabre had been admitted by Defence Minister Robert Hill. Mr Pass claimed that the protest, whilst possibly illegal, was necessary and morally correct in order to prevent a greater crime, which is the preparation for illegal military actions, such as the invasion of Iraq.

Mr Castle told the court that he saw a imminent threat of ecological damage from the continued use of Shoalwater Bay for military exercises and the possible use of depleted uranium shells.

June Norman, a 65 year old grandmother and aid worker in East Timor told the Court that having enjoyed the privilege of growing up in a war free Australia, she wanted the same for her children, grandchildren and their children. She expressed the view that our new doctrine of pre-emptive war and illegal invasion was sure to bring retribution and war to this country.

The Reverend John Smith, celebrated founder of the God Squad in Melbourne was called as an expert witness, and informed the court that Christian tradition called upon all believers to resist unjust war. He said that the example set by Jesus, John Wesley, Martin Luther King and Gandhi had all demonstrated the effect that could be achieved by committed believers acting against injustice and war.

The second group were four people involved in a much larger blockade of the main road accessing the Shoalwater Bay military facility. The blockade involved theatre, singing, and the making of a pedestrian crossing to ensure that pedestrians had right of way over the tanks. These protesters told the court that they felt they must stand in the way of the military training "and just maybe we can stop this war."

Several of the activists said that all legal avenues of persuasion had been exhausted, and that non-violent direct action was now a moral necessity as the only available avenue to halt the sin and injustice of this war of aggression. The court has reserved its decision for the first group until late January. The second group were found guilty of failing to obey a police direction, but with no conviction being recorded.

Background

Peace Convergence participants were gathered in the Rockhampton/Shoalwater region to non-violently resist US-Australia joint military exercises, Operation Talisman Sabre 2005 (TS05) which ran from June 10 - 30, 2005.

Operation Talisman Sabre 2005 (TS05) has been hailed as one of the largest joint military exercises ever to take place in Australia. Opponents are concerned that TS05 been designed to practice new high-tech and nuclear war fare, aggression, bombing, raiding and invading and perpetuating existing wars and preparing the military for others, rather than promoting peaceful solutions to world problems.

The eleven peace campaigners who were arrested voicing their opposition to Operation Talisman Sabre will be returning to Rockhampton over the next few months for court appearances.

The eleven were charged in three separate incidents.

Arrests

On the morning of Sunday June 12th 2005, six peace campaigners entered the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Facility. They were arrested after maintaining a 40-minute vigil on the site commemorating civilians and servicemen/women who died in the Iraq War. Rod Castle, (Youth worker), Adele Goldie, (Artist/hospitality worker), Jess Morrison, (University Lecturer), June Norman, (East Timor Aid Worker), Rick Pass, (Father of two) and Wayne Reed, (Natural Therapist) sat together on the site, with model coffins and photographs of child victims of the first Gulf War they had brought with them. They read out the names and backgrounds of the war deceased, as supporters outside the gates quietly chanted for peace.

Later that day, another four campaigners, Phoebe Clark, Jewel Lee, Bernie Maloney, and Culley Palmer, were arrested blockading the entrance to the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Facility after a colourful demonstration of approximately forty had held up military trucks heading for the exercises for three and a half hours. Protestors had decorated the fences with peace banners and the road with peace-themed artwork and "radioactive waste" drums. A makeshift pedestrian crossing was constructed on the spot, and then traversed by protestors, to emphasise that the 'right of way' should be given to peace, people and the environment.

In an earlier incident, a peace campaigner and art student, Bridgett Toner, was arrested for stenciling her artwork and peace message on the pavement in Rockhampton.

Six Arrested Blockading Shoalwater Exercise

Six peace activists were arrested Sunday 12 June 2005 on Shoalwater Bay Joint Military Training Facility. The six were undertaking a memorial service for those killed in the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The Shoalwater facility is presently hosting 11,000 and 6,000 Australian troops in Operation Talisman Sabre, the largest joint military exercise with US forces in Australian history.

Organic farmer Rod Castle, university lecturer Jessica Morrison, waiter Adelle Goldie, returned East Timor aid worker June Norman, father of two Rick Pass and natural therapist Wayne Reid were taken to Rockhampton Watchhouse to face charges. Military police removed replica coffins, painted with names of the American and Iraqi war dead, from the base.

Jessica Morrison stated, "With my faith and conscience, I can't sit by while the US and Australian military forces kill people in Iraq. Since the US invasion of Iraq, involving Australian troops, over million Iraqis mostly women and children have been killed. Over 1,650 US troops have been killed and 11,000 evacuated with serious injuries.

We bring these coffins to Shoalwater as symbolic of the human consequences of these military exercises. We solemnly remember the war dead and nonviolentlly resist on behalf of those living under US occupation of Iraq."