Wellywood protesters swing back into action

Wellywood sign. Photo / Supplied

A group opposed to the controversial Wellywood sign is planning another protest after surveyors were seen mapping out its proposed site yesterday.

Wellington International Airport last week said it would reconsider its plans for the sign on the Miramar hillside after city councillors voted 10-4 against the move.

The sign has provoked strong reactions, including a drive-by protest at the airport organised by a 25,000-strong Facebook group called Protest Wellington International Airport: No Wellywood Sign!

Protest organiser Andy Boreham yesterday said the group had cancelled a second protest as a sign of good faith but reports of surveyors on the hills above the airport had forced it to "swing back into action".

"We offered a huge amount of good faith to Wellington Airport by suspending protest action. Our friendly gesture appears to have fallen on deaf ears.
We've had to swing back into action this week after it was reported that surveyors were working on the site in preparation for installation. We had hoped that further protests would not be necessary."

The next demonstration was planned for tomorrow evening, Mr Boreham said. "We won't sit by and let Wellington Airport brand our city when they clearly don't have the mandate or the support of the people of Wellington."

The protest would be peaceful and the group did not support calls for vandalism of the sign, he said.

Last week, the US trust charged with maintaining the real Hollywood sign said it was in discussions with lawyers regarding the Wellington plan.

- NZPA