Police thwart defence protest

A PROTESTER who once took a garden mattock to a military helicopter has been filmed getting ejected by police from a Cairns meeting with military tech giant Lockheed Martin.

Cairns-based defence contract procurement advocacy group DEFNQ held its first public meeting yesterday with more than 80 businesspeople learning how they could secure lucrative supply deals with the US-based company.

Anti-war group Wage Peace had several members in the crowd, with veteran protester Margaret Pestorius – who was arrested last month while allegedly trying to stop vehicles at the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Cairns – behind the camera.

Someone could be heard whispering: “I blockaded the Prime Minister last week.”

The event progressed without interruption until Graeme Dunstan stood up.

The long-term political activist, who in 2013 was found guilty of damaging a military helicopter with a garden tool in Central Queensland, was cut short as he discussed the history Watch the video of the protester’s ejection www.cairnspost.com.au of procurement in Australia. Police, tipped off early about the protesters, escorted Mr Dunstan to the exit.

DEFNQ organiser and Division 9 Cairns Regional Councillor Brett Olds said the meeting was a success despite the interruption.

“Fair enough, people can protest if they want, but it was a private meeting – to go in there just to be disruptive is really disappointing,” he said.

Mr Dunstan told the Cairns Post his intention was to dispel the idea defence spending was the key to creating jobs.

“Lockheed Martin is not a benevolent institution … it’s not coming to Cairns to give away money,” he said.

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