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Hundreds of activists and academics gathered outside Pine Gap, the joint Australian-US defence facility near Alice Springs, in what organizers say is the largest protest at the site since 1987. Demonstrators called for the facility's closure and for the return of land to its traditional Arrernte owners.

The rally drew people from across Australia, according to ABC News reports. Arrernte traditional owners delivered a letter to the facility's front gates demanding the return of their land and compensation.

Coverage Comparison

ABC News provided detailed coverage of the protest, describing the scene, the participants, and the underlying grievances that brought them to the remote site. The reports noted that the turnout made the rally the largest at Pine Gap since 1987, when more than 1,000 demonstrators marched to the gates.

NT Police established a traffic stop several kilometres from the facility, checking identification before allowing vehicles to proceed. A further police blockade, about 200 metres from the high-security entrance, prevented protesters from approaching on foot.

As the group moved toward the barricade, they chanted "shut it down," "close Pine Gap," and "always was, always will be Aboriginal land."

Key Claims

  • Pine Gap is a joint Australian-US defence facility that has been in operation for almost 60 years, located 18 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs. It was originally presented to the public as a space base but has expanded into a major intelligence and surveillance base, with its domes growing in number and capacity.
  • Hundreds of activists and academics travelled to Central Australia to protest the facility's role in warfare and surveillance. Among them were Lies and Els Paijmans, who had participated in a major women's protest at Pine Gap in 1983. Els Paijmans said they were motivated by "the ongoing American involvement in Pine Gap and what that means on a global level for the military machine," and expressed concern that surveillance was used for "negative purposes, far beyond any positive purposes that the government or a politician could describe."
  • Arrernte traditional owners want their land back and compensation. A letter delivered to the facility's front gates made that demand formally.
  • New South Wales Greens senator David Shoebridge attended the protest. He described Pine Gap as a "foreign military base set up for the interests of a foreign military," which he said was "lurching towards right wing politics, not respecting international law."
  • The Defence Department declined to comment on the protesters' concerns, according to ABC News.

Perspectives

Arrernte traditional owners and protesters: They demand the return of their land and compensation, and call for the closure of Pine Gap. They argue the facility's surveillance operations serve negative purposes and are used in ways that harm global peace and respect for international law.

NSW Greens senator David Shoebridge: He attended the protest and characterized Pine Gap as a foreign military base serving another country's interests, expressing concern about the direction of US politics and its respect for international law.

Defence Department: The department declined to comment on the protesters' concerns, according to ABC News.