Peace Action Wellington

Peace Action Wellington (PAW) is a left wing activist organisation based in Wellington, New Zealand primarily known for their opposition to western intervention and military involvement around the world, advocacy for indigenous rights, and capitalism. With support from members of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, the group is also linked to other local activist groups. Peace Action Wellington is affiliated with the American Peace Action group. For its sometimes provocative actions, the group has attracted the attention of New Zealand's security and intelligence services. In particular, the perceived violent actions and support for domestic terrorism has attracted significant attention.

Peace Action Wellington was founded in 2001 from an amalgamation of Marxist, anarchist, anti western, social justice and union groups in response to the United States invasion of Afghanistan as part of the War on Terror, following the September 11 attacks. The group stated that they wished to promote peaceful, rather than violent responses to world conflict. The group further 2003 invasion of Iraq, and played a role in the New Zealand anti war movement's opposition to the war, organising several nationwide protests. Particular importance was given to the involvement of the New Zealand Special Air Service, and its actions fighting under ISAF command in Afghanistan. In March 2003 PAW issued an official statement denouncing the wars, stating that American, British and Australian interests should be targeted in retaliation. In 2004, the group organised a rally from Civic Square to the Wellington Cenotaph intended to demonstrate their opposition to the War on Terror.

Following the 2007 New Zealand police raids of paramilitary and terrorist training camps in the Urewera Mountains, several members of Peace Action Wellington were implicated, including spokesperson Valorie Morse, and members Urs Peter Signer, Tame Iti, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara, Urs Signer and Emily Bailey. These individuals became known as the Urewera 17. Members of this group were charged with the illegal possession of firearms (including military style semi automatic rifles), Molotov cocktails, improvised explosive devices and ammunition.

In 2007, Peace Action Wellington member Valerie Morse was fined $500 and charged with behaving in an offensive manner after a demonstration at the dawn ceremony for ANZAC Day to protest against the New Zealand military's involvement in Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. Two banners were held and two New Zealand flags were burnt, resulting in two arrests. The charges were later dropped by the Supreme Court. In 2014 and 2015, Peace Action Wellington again focussed on ANZAC Day. Particular attention was shown to the centennial commemoration of the Great War during this time. The group suggested that the centennial was being used to promote the military.

In May 2018, Peace Action Wellington, along with associated group Auckland Peace Action called for the Documentary Edge Festival to drop screenings of the Israeli film Ben Gurion, Epilogue as part of its endorsement of the Palestinian–led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. On 14 May, Peace Action Wellington protested outside Wellington's Roxy Cinema and were assaulted by cinema goers. The protesters also reportedly brought fake bombs in the form of a beeping black box in an attempt to scare cinema goers into leaving; although the screening went ahead regardless and there was no evacuation. In response, Doc Edge Film Festival director Alex Lee rejected claims that the Ben Gurion film was propaganda and stated that the Auckland film screening would go ahead despite warnings of further protests by local Palestinian solidarity groups. The film's director Yariv Mozer urged the protesters to watch the film instead of boycotting it.