Pine Gap protest draws hundreds in Alice Springs

newsJul 19, 2026171,053

Hundreds of activists and Arrernte traditional owners converged in Alice Springs ahead of a planned protest targeting the joint Australian, US military facility at Pine Gap. More than 500 people gathered at a desert research institute for the "Close Pine Gap" convergence, where participants were welcomed by Arrernte elders with a smoking ceremony lasting about an hour. Protesters raised concerns that Pine Gap, built nearly 60 years ago 18 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs, has expanded from a publicly described space base into a major intelligence and surveillance facility with growing dome capacity. Arrernte elder Felicity Hayes said she cannot visit sacred grounds and rock art sites that lie within Pine Gap’s boundaries. Longtime activists Lies and Els Paijmans, who travelled from regional New South Wales and attended the 1983 Women for Survival camp, recalled Women for Survival’s tea-party-style protest at the gates that led to about 100 arrests. Organiser Nathalie Farah said participants were driven by "frustration", "confusion" and "grief," warning that Pine Gap’s role with the US risks drawing Australia into conflict and makes the country a target.

Radical Graffiti

@radicalgraffiti.bsky.social

"Welcome to Genocide Nation. Land Back" Seen in the Northern Territory of so-called Australia where protesters from around the continent are converging to demand the closure of Pine Gap, a US spy base which has operated since 1966.

32917h ago

Senator David Shoebridge

@davidshoebridge.bsky.social

On Arrernte Country in Alice this weekend for the convergence on Pine Gap, calling for land back and the closure of this dangerous US base.

Tents in front of a banner that reads CLOSE PINE GAP

228Yesterday

Brenda Nevill 🍉7

Pine Gap occupies a space in my brain and I often worry about it. Especially now that the States have gone rogue. It seems to be a case of "out of sight, out of mind" for most people.

MandyH3

Persistence is a fine attribute and shows dedicated opposition. Standing with ❤️💛🖤

Tom Waltz3

Getting out of AUKUS should be top priority.

💧 Erik Levin 🇦🇺🦘2

Totally supporting you in this. USA is dangerous and not an ally at all.

David Milner

@davemilbo.bsky.social

In the shadow of Pine Gap, I had a great chat with Senator @davidshoebridge.bsky.social about Australian involvement in the US-Israeli warmachine. I'll get that out onto YouTube and Instagram next week, so look out for that (because the algorithm ain't gonna help!).

Two Daves, Shoebridge and Milner, sitting beneath acacia trees on Arrernte land

22614h ago

arthurnorman2.bsky.social19

👏👏👍both of you keep up the good work of uncovering the shitfuckery of Australia's involvement in supporting israel's genocidal practices and ethnic cleansing in the invaded West Bank

Jen G Lambie11

Not gonna lie.... two of my favourite guys! ✨️😉✨️

QuetzalcoatlusWellnessInstitute6

One of the hardest working pollies, and top bloke.

Lady Tart (KJ Colt)3

Peaceful place for a chat. Don’t forget to bring that washing in off the line tho

clowded.bsky.social1

Please try to call these users the USA they aren't "us" and subliminal words have an effect

Wilberry 🪷1

When I saw last night that Senator Shoebridge was there I was hoping you two would get together for a chat. I'm sure it was great and I look forward to watching it, Dave and David ✌️

Quoting this

Kate-Eviva7

Great work. Looking forward to it.

Lizzy Schofield2

Keep a lookout for this. Active hope 🙏🏻 bsky.app/profile/dave...

Lizzy Schofield2

Two of our best David’s always fill me with hope. Anyone who is waking up & finally paying attention cannot miss this talk. Stay tuned for Dave to put it out in our must share universe # AusPol

ABC News Australia

@news.abc.net.au

Hundreds of activists join Arrernte traditional owners ahead of Pine Gap protest

9015h ago

Quoting this

StarKitty 🏳️‍⚧️2

That’s gonna end well :/

Jo Dyer

@instanterudite.bsky.social

The #SundayShot is up! We lost Pine Gap correspondent @davemilbo.bsky.social along the way due to dodgy internet but @nicolechvastek.bsky.social & Jesse Noakes last the distance & a good time was had by all (including a gaggle of curious schoolboys @ Geelong Library). www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Z...

7316h ago

Pepper Qi3

bsky.app/profile/pepp... @davemilbo.bsky.social came up from gardening to ask what happened to communications? Does Mike Burgess know you're out there? I wish I was out protesting with you all #Auspol #alttxt @davidshoebridge.bsky.social have you had issues sending & receiving out near Pine Gap?

Chris Egginton2

Good show Jo and skillfully chaired.

Laki1

I loved the autotext translation Jo "Jillian Seagull's" Jillying Seagulls indeed.

Quoting this

Honor Laois 🦘#DoNoHarm 🦘4

Great show. Nicole is articulate with a Milbo edge (frustration showing) and Jesse's WA intimacy helped too. Thanks guys! I'll keep an eye out for the Milbo-Shoebridge chat this week.

Always ... a Difficult ... Earth Girl🐬🐨🐋🦘🦈2

Great episode today. Good scholarly - & humanitarian - logic & 'on the ground', up to date polit. info re: Papalia's exit from the WA State Gov seat of Secret Harbor & the Aug. 29th by-election with an ex-Woodside revolving door employee running as the Labor Candidate. What could possibly go wrong?

Simon Rosenberg

@simonrosenberg.bsky.social

"Why should we be dragged into [US] wars? ...Pine Gap makes Australia a target." Good to see ABC giving voice to Arrernte traditional owners and other protesters. But another opportunity missed by legacy media to set out the evidence for those claims, and the impact of government secrecy. #auspol

5010h ago

Peter Murphy

@peterwmurphy1.bsky.social

#SundayShot 19/7. @instanterudite.bsky.social & @davemilbo.bsky.social were joined by Jesse Noakes & @nicolechvastek.bsky.social. Intelligent, insightful, engaging discussion re RC into #Antisemitism, Pine Gap protest, #WApol, Pauline Hanson, AI data centres. Superb. #auspol youtu.be/zXc3gE34nTg?...

145h ago

bystander1.bsky.social

@bystander1.bsky.social

"It was originally sold to the public as a space base, but the joint Australian-US facility has since expanded to become a major intelligence and surveillance base, its large golf-ball-like domes growing in number and capacity."

1114h ago

TheTunnelChickens

@angelesbandit.bsky.social

The first missile shot at us will take out Pine Gap, then the naval communications station near Exmouth, then every US piece of military shit in Australia. Only after that would anyone worry about the clown show that the ADF has become.

10Yesterday

Miscellaneous Loose Unit10

Fvcking warmongers like the Admiral are unhinged. Australia defending itself from China is a fantasy, and our “ally” the USA is a failed state who never gave a shit about defending Australia, only its military surveillance bases. Morons like Marles and the AUKUS enablers are criminals #auspol

Degenerate artist2

Be fun for anyone who lives in the vicinity of any major ADF facility. Here in Brisbane that means Amberly, Gallipoli barracks at Enoggera, and Kokoda barracks near the airport for a start. Further west there's Army aviation out at Oakey.

Pepper Qi

@pepperqi.bsky.social

Reports indicate that Pine Gap, the joint US-Australian signals intelligence facility near Alice Springs, utilizes advanced satellite monitoring and ground-based interception systems that can detect and analyze electronic communications, including cellular, satellite, and internet signals. While the facility itself is designed for surveillance rather than causing intentional interference, its operational scope involves monitoring global communications, with specific capabilities to intercept transmissions from foreign satellites and military networks.

315h ago

Dr nick nobody

@nicknobody.bsky.social

I guess failed Labor MP Peter Garrett won't be protesting the US war base at Pine Gap after he reversed his opposition to it in 2004. #auspol www.greenleft.org.au/2009/803/ana...

713h ago

Solidarity

@solidarity-aus.bsky.social

Great turnout outside Rosebank Engineering in Bayswater Vic today. The rally of about 200 was in solidarity with the Pine Gap convergence. Rosebank is the only company in the world making the release mechanism for the bomb bay on the F-35 jets used by Israel against Gaza. 🇵🇸✊🏽🇵🇸

3Yesterday

Brenda Nevill 🍉

@brendamagpie.bsky.social

Pine Gap occupies a space in my brain and I often worry about it. Especially now that the States have gone rogue. It seems to be a case of "out of sight, out of mind" for most people.

7Yesterday

@phonix7.bsky.social

Australia needs to distance itself from the fascist US government and close Pine Gap

23h ago

paws101 [Paul 🇦🇺 🦘For Ukraine 🇺🇦]

@paws101.bsky.social

We should be using access to Pine Gap more as a lever against the nut case Trump Administration! Put up a Security Post checking every non Australian citizen access authority 'papers'! See how they like that msg! www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07...

115h ago

2 sources

abc.net.auHundreds gather in Alice Springs ahead of Pine Gap protest nexa.fasulloland.comActivists and Traditional Owners Converge for Pine Gap Protest

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Pine Gap protest draws hundreds in Alice Springs

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