Protest action made by New Zealanders was wide and varied,
ranging from the ports of Auckland, to the streets of Wellington and even out
to the small atoll in the south-pacific of Mururoa. Culminating in over 300
protest groups by 1976, making the anti-nuclear movement a true mass movement
in New Zealand at the time.
As a form of action the CND took against the use of nuclear power and weapons was to hold marches, most notably they held Hiroshima day marches in remembrance of the destruction and devastation of the first hydrogen bomb that dropped on Hiroshima to end the Second World War. As many as 600 protestors (mainly made up of university students) marched towards parliament. This number swelled during the National run, Robert Muldoon era as the government allowed nuclear powered vessels into New Zealand Harbour’s. Even small center’s such as Waiheke Island, with help of groups such as the Waiheke Peace Group, could draw around 400 demonstrators against nuclear power. Also another march was the Women’s March of 1983, where some 20,000 women, ranging from children, scholars and elderly marched up Auckland’s Queen Street. Showing how much of an issue this was for the people, and they will turn out in force to show their support of the nuclear power issue. Another way that demonstrators showed their position to the government was through the forms of petitions. For instance the CND was instrumental in carrying out the “no bombs south of the line” petition in 1963, massing a total of 80,000 signatures. Also the Campaign Half Million petition of 1976, although not reaching half a million signatures, this petition did reach a significantly large number of signatures.
The New Zealand anti-nuclear demonstrators also had another way of protesting against nuclear power. This way was to form a squadron of boats, and sail out to meet with the nuclear powered vessels that Prime Minister Muldoon was allowing into New Zealand’s ports. Many American ships were protested against on arrival into New Zealand waters, such as, USS Long Beach in 1976, and the USS Truxton in 1976, the USS Pintado in 1978, the USS Haddo in 1979, and the USS Buchanan in 1985. Helicopters would try and blow the smaller boats over, with police out in patrol boats sometimes pulling people out of their boats and using grappling hooks. The protestors learned to use party gas to keep the helicopter at bay and flew kites to stop the helicopter from getting close. The USS Long Beach was able to be delayed for an hour and 18 minutes. In the years that this type of protest was active, support for a nuclear-free country grew.
Key Ideas
- Actions taken at the time were largely taken on by the protest groups as they believed they were fighting for a better tomorrow. This was seen to be a disturbance in international relations and conducting research by the United States and the French
- Unlike the anti Springbok Tour movement, the anti-nuclear movement consumed many more peoples of New Zealand society, not just in the youth sects.
- The Peace Squadron protest was largely a mass protest, with many people participating and showing a display of solidarity against the rising nuclear power and nuclear powered vessels entering New Zealand.
- The protest movement largely damaged international relations with the United States and France, effectively being expelled from the old standing Alliance of ANZUS and because of interruptions caused to regular international trade to Europe because of the protest against French nuclear testing in the South Pacific.
