Australian Greens spokesperson assisting on Defence - Senator Scott Ludlam. 23 July 2013.
Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says the US bombing of the Great Barrier Reef has sparked two peace protestors to enter the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area today to disrupt the Talisman Sabre training exercises.
Vincent Emanuele:
Bryan Law is currently in police custody after using a garden mattock to smash a military helicopter in Rockhampton Airport during the Talisman Saber US/Australian wargames.
Bryan caused a stir in Rockhampton by announcing his intention to disarm a military helicopter to the Rockhampton Airport, Defence Dept and QLD Police many months prior to the Talisman Saber military exercises.
Related: Listen to Bryan Law's CIB interview | Graeme Dunstan - CIB interview | Youtube - Win TV News coverage
Four nonviolent Christian activists have entered the Shoalwater Bay Training Area this morning to stop the Talisman Saber exercises. Calling themselves the “Bonhoeffer 4” after Kevin Rudd’s favourite theologian, Margaret Pestorius (44, Social Worker, Cairns), Jarrod McKenna (28, School Peace Educator, Perth) Jessica Morrison (33, University lecturer, Melbourne) and Rev. Simon Moyle (32, Baptist Minister, Melbourne) are currently moving towards a live-fire area.
Where US troops go, sexual assaults and drug charges follow. Look out Cairns!
Around the world, in the Philippines, Japan and many other locations, US bases have become the centre of major social problems. The Governor of Okinawa has said the US bases on his island brought a major increase in levels of prostitution, drugs, alcoholism, rape, sexually transmitted diseases, and abuse of women and children.
The Australian experience is similar.
An Anglican Church report from Hobart details frequent sexual assaults on juvenile men and women by US service people.
