NZ Cops bash protestors to defend militarisation of space

‘Thrown backwards into a garden’: Activists allege rough treatment as police make dozens of arrests

Police have made dozens of arrests as protesters tried to stop the National Aerospace Summit at Christchurch’s Te Pae Convention Centre on Wednesday morning.

Protesters alleged rough treatment by police, organisers Peace Action Ōtautahi said.

The group said activists remained outside the convention centre, chanting and maintaining a peaceful presence.

“I moved in towards the convention centre to try and block an entrance, but an officer grabbed me and he started kicking me repeatedly to push me back. He also knocked my glasses off,” one of the activists alleged.

“I was then thrown backwards by a cop over a barrier between the convention centre into a garden where I saw another person lying face down while a cop had one of their arms pinned behind them and kneeling on them,” they alleged, stating that the situation quickly escalated.

Thirty people had been arrested for trespassing and obstruction at this stage, police said.

You know you are a threat to the military industrial complex when the Cops use the kind of extreme force they used here defending the Aerospace Industry.

The cops are there to ensure money is made from the militarisation of space because there is huge money involved.

Any time protestors threaten venal greed, the cops are there to bash.

We are seeing a militarisation of the police force in America…

Trump floats invoking the Insurrection Act

…in the UK…

UK says it will restrict repeated protests after 500 arrests at pro-Palestinian vigil

…and it is starting here in NZ with 3 month jail sentences suggested for anyone protesting outside a Politicians house…

Justice Minister plans to criminalise protesting outside homes

… let’s be very clear.

Rocket Lab’s U.S. connections are extensive and public:

Contracts and launches for U.S. military & intelligence

• Rocket Lab has launched payloads for:

  • U.S. Space Force

  • U.S. Air Force

  • National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) – the agency that operates America’s spy satellites.

  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) – the Pentagon’s R&D arm.

  • U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command.

These launches include classified intelligence satellites and experimental surveillance systems.

Rocket Lab has also launched payloads with connections to Israel:

• One key example is the “In-Space Missions / Satellogic / SpaceIL” collaborations, involving Earth observation satellites that share data links with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) or Israeli tech partners that have dual-use (civil + defense) applications.

• Critics, including NZ peace and human rights groups, have alleged that some of these satellites can be used for surveillance over Gaza and occupied Palestinian territories — particularly in coordination with Israel’s Ofekand Eros satellite programs, both of which have defense applications.

• While Rocket Lab itself does not publicly state any launch as being explicitly “for” the Israeli Defense Forces, some of its commercial clients are contracted suppliers to Israeli defense and intelligence bodies.

So, while Rocket Lab markets these as “commercial or scientific payloads,” dual-use tech (civil + military) makes that line very blurry.

When you threaten the this power nexus of military capitalism, the NZ Cops dig deep to bash hard.

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