Wellington: proud to be nuclear-free

Wellington: proud to be nuclear-free

Members of Peace Action Wellington will meet deputy mayor Alick Shaw at 1pm on November 17 in the Council Chambers to present him with a petition to 'Save the Sign.'

The petition, which has more than a thousand signatures so far, calls on the Mayor and City Councillors to preserve and protect the Nuclear-free Wellington sign in Calibar Road as a vital part of the city's heritage and culture.

The Peace Action Wellington delegation will be joined by Green MP Sue Kedgely, Wellington Maritime Union secretary Mike Williams, Alliance Councillor Stephanie Cook, and the president of the Council of Trade Unions, Ross Wilson.

'Kerry Prendegast has announced that she wants to take the nuclear free sign down' said Peace Action Wellington member Don Franks. 'She is deluded if she thinks Wellingtonians are just going to allow this important symbol to be removed'.

'Wellington workers put their jobs on the line to reject a visit by the USS Truxtun because they were determined to resist these gross weapons of war. Keeping the country nuclear-free is as important today as it was 20 years ago.'

'We believe that the reason the Mayor wants to remove the sign is a fear of offending visitors from the United States arriving for the premiere of the new Lord of the Rings film' said Don. 'Yet, many overseas visitors have signed the petition and are great admirers of Kiwi resistance to US bullying'.

'The people of Wellington are committed to keeping the sign and will take whatever measures necessary to ensure that it remains standing.'

ENDS

For more information, please contact Don Franks at 972-3298 or John Anderson on 027- 295-6202