A group which aims to spread the message of disarmament by disabling warplanes and military equipment has attacked and deflated one of the two white globes covering satellite dishes at the Waihopai spy base in Marlborough.
In a statement this morning the group called Anzac Ploughshares said it entered the base at 6am and used sickles to deflate one of two 30 metre domes covering satellite interception dishes.
Members then "built a shrine and knelt in prayer to remember the people killed by United States military activity".
The deflated dome was visible from some distance away.
The Waihopai base is operated by the Government Communications Security Bureau. It is described as a satellite communications monitoring facility, but opponents believe it is part of Echelon, the worldwide network of signals interception facilities run by the American and British intelligence agencies. The group said it was responding to the administration of United States President George Bush saying intelligence gathering was the most important tool in the war on global terrorism.
"This war will have no end until citizens of the world refuse to let it continue.
"The Echelon spy network including Waihopai, is an important part of the US government's global spy network and we have come in the name of the Prince of Peace to close it down."
The group claims Prime Minister Helen Clark and the New Zealand Government were privately supporting the war in Iraq while publicly condemning it.
"The Bush administration was using the National Security Agency's Echelon system to spy on UN Security Council members so it could more easily swing them in favour of an invasion."
Pictures on the group's website showed one of the domes mangled and deflated.
A witness at the base told the Marlborough Express a deflated dish was now visible.
Blenheim police were unavailable for comment this morning.
Ploughshares, a London-based organisation, has previously targeted planes destined for warfare in Iraq and East Timor.
The group said it cut through three security fences surrounding the domes, despite razor wire, infrared motion sensors and a high voltage electrified fence.
They then temporarily closed the base by padlocking the gates and deflated one dome.
The group included a Dominican Priest.
Ploughshares said it was committed to peace and disarmament.
Its members intended to "nonviolently, safely, openly and accountably disable a war machine or system so that it can no longer harm people".
Three people, including veteran activist John Minto, congratulated the group in a comments section on the website.
"Congratulations for your courage in bringing this obnoxious site to the attention of others, violence has never been an answer to any problems we have in the world," one comment reads.
A spokeswoman for Miss Clark had no comment to make about the incident when initially contacted.
