Wellywood protest planned for Wednesday

The group behind last week’s vehicle protest on Wellington Airport are planning another demonstration for Wednesday evening.

Protest Wellington International Airport: NO WELLYWOOD SIGN! orchestrated a successful driving protest on Monday 23 May that attracted a reported 80-100 vehicles. On Friday they suspended further action temporarily after the Airport announced they were reconsidering the sign following a WCC resolution against it.

“We offered a huge amount of good faith to Wellington Airport by suspending protest action,” protest organiser Andy Boreham says. “Our friendly gesture appears to have fallen on deaf ears.”

“We’ve had to swing back into action this week after it was reported that surveyors were working on the site in preparation for installation. We had hoped that further protests would not be necessary after Wellington Airport said they would reconsider the sign last week.”

Boreham says support has been coming in thick and fast for another protest, including from within Wellington’s film industry. “Respected Wellington filmmaker Gaylene Preston was out in force at our first demonstration and will be out in force on Wednesday too.”

“We won’t sit by and let Wellington Airport brand our city when they clearly don’t have the mandate or the support of the people of Wellington.”

Boreham says the demonstration will be peaceful and that the group do not support calls for vandalism if the sign is erected. “Steve Fitzgerald called us ‘ugly’ and suggested we are bullies after our first demonstration, which is far from the truth.”

Those interested in joining the driving protest are urged to join the Facebook group, or just to show up on the evening in vehicles to illustrate their support. “We want to give the people of Wellington a real vehicle to demonstrate their opposition!”

The protest will begin at 6pm.

ENDS

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