Jump to content

User:Dogfire

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • [1], an Anglican (Episcopalian) priest and lecturer in theology at St. John's College, of Auckland, in Aotearoa-New Zealand.

Both practising and preaching 'liberation theology' throughout his life, he started in the 1970s by responding to the call to get actively involved in the anti-Vietnam war movement.

In the 1980s Armstrong was central to spearheading the national popular movement to blockade nuclear powered (and potentially nuclear armed) US warships from New Zealand harbours by suggesting his seminary students and he initiate a blockade flotilla of visiting US naval craft. They invited local boating clubs to join them in making a 'Peace Squadron,' and the movement became popular and effective within a few years. (View the difference between the return visits to the capital city of Wellington of the USS Truxton in 1980 when it was greeted belatedly by three protest craft, and 1982 when it was effectively surrounded.)

Armstrong was also part of the occupation of Hamilton rugby ground at the start of the infamous televised confrontation between the newly formed riot police squad and the demonstrators against the Springbok rugby tour of 1981. He was filmed standing out from the group of protesters when they were surrounded on the rugby field by riot police and angry rugby fans. He approached the helmeted line of riot police, addressing them as individuals.

Now aged aged 80, he continues to live actively in his faith.