First, apologies for the delay in getting this post put up here. It is far better to get the facts right first, even if it means a delay, than to be forced later to print a retraction.
As well, it takes time to carefully wade through and publish the mountains of video evidence that goes into producing an accurate picture of an event as momentous as Auckland’s D8 protest against the TPPA.
Rather than report it blow by blow, making this post far too big, I will take the best video clips available of the key events and let them speak for themselves.
First, the basics; on D7 (December 7, 2012) the Auckland ANFS committee called a march to celebrate the near completion of the petition, and to urge us all to work to finish it soon. Here is the first of several videos on this topic;
This video is one of 6 D7 videos found on ActioNZMedia.
Note: Subscribe to ActioNZMedia to get more ANFS and other action-video postcards from the front lines in Aotearoa.
Like all ANFS protests, D7 was entirely peaceful. So peaceful in fact, that the police hardly showed up, except to direct traffic, and there were scant news reports that night of the march.
So then what happened on D8, the Anti-TPPA march on the following day? By now, most people will have heard reports of violence at that protest, in complete contrast to D7. What really went on?
D8 started normally, and once again, as always, the protest was orderly and well organised. Here is a video of the march from Aotea Square to SkyCity in Federal Street;
In Federal Street, Jane Kelsey prepared to deliver a petition signed by 750 THOUSAND people from around the world, opposing the TPPA;
Unfortunately, Jane was rebuffed by representatives of the TPPA, even though she was a registered “Interested Party” to the negotiations.
Their envoy rejected and excluded from the negotiations in such an arrogant manner, the crowd then decided to protest at the door of the Grand Hotel. With more than 500 protesters in the street and near the door, the noise was deafening. The first protesters arriving at the door found it relatively lightly guarded, and in fact it was not locked. One protester tried to open the door and partially succeeded, but decided not to continue or call for assistance, so as to avoid creating a dangerous situation. When she let the door go, security quickly swarmed in to fill the gap.
The protest got stronger at the door, as the front area of the hotel filled up, but it remained entirely peaceful. Protesters can be heard chanting to be let into the negotiations, but this refers to the rejection of Jane Kelsey, the envoy, which only happened moments before, not to protesters themselves – there was no real attempt to get into the building.
As more people came into the area, it got more crowded, and there was some light jostling, but nothing serious. However, about 5 minutes after police and security came to the door area, a police officer violently shoved a protester. This was “The Shove that Started it All”;
Stills of the officer involved appear to show the officer smiling or grinning after shoving the young man. But the trouble this causes should wipe the smile off of the face of anyone who expects better from the police; from this point, bedlam ensues, and people start getting hurt.
The video evidence shows it’s a mostly one-sided affair; in the video, protesters are seen being shoved and thrown around – some can be seen holding their hands in the air in a gesture of surrender, even as security guards continue to assault them. Other protesters can be heard calmly directing the removal of dangerous objects from the space, even though the crush and the assault by police is intensifying. Screams of pain and fear are heard. The protesters were not fighting, they were being attacked.
Even still, the broad assault by the police officer and security guards does not result in a melee, contrary possibly to their expectations. So it appears, from the best evidence available, that at least two other attempts may have been made by certain police to “kick it off”, when a strange, motorcycle-helmeted officer, supported by a line of ordinary uniformed police moves into the middle of the crowd, and allegedly punches a woman in the face. The protesters are angered by this, but the scuffle still remains isolated and does not spread. After this, the officer in the helmet later appears to have another go, at the fringes of the protest, and fails a second time.
If you have watched the previous videos, you can fast-forward to 4:00 to pick up the action, including the second altercation with the strange helmeted officer at 6:00.
In this video, a small flag is symbolically burned (not show), and then the boxes representing the petition which could not be delivered are also burned (shown). It’s a small cardboard and paper fire in the middle of the road – no one is hurt and no damage is done. But the symbolic fire is a side-show; what we observe is that whenever the police are absent, the protesters mill around peacefully and calmly – only when the police come is there any physical violence.
The protest concludes in good order as the protesters, now about 200 strong march back down to Queen Street and on to Aotea Square. There, they assemble to discuss what has happened and have a final rally. However, as this video shows at 8:30, approximately 20 police suddenly show up out of nowhere, after it’s all over, to arrest one 19 year old girl… all 158 centimeters and 59 kgs of her. This cause yet another altercation.
While not all of the evidence is available, it appears from the videos above that certain police repeatedly provoked ordinarily peaceful protesters during and after the protest rally on D8. The question is, “Why?”
1. WHY DID CERTAIN POLICE APPEAR TO PROVOKE PROTESTERS AT THE TPPA NEGOTIATIONS?
and the most important question of all…
2. WHY ARE THESE NEGOTIATIONS BEING HELD IN SUCH EXTREME SECRECY?
If this was such a great deal for New Zealand, the government would not wish to keep it a secret. They would want us to know everything about it. But if instead, they are really planning to sell us down the river, it stands to reason they would keep it a secret as long as possible, and they would want to deliver a harsh lesson to anyone who dared challenge it.
For a more detailed discussion of these questions, have a look here and here.
Or, if you don’t feel like reading, listen to Stephen Parry, a lawyer, an expert on the TPPA, and an associate of Jane Kelsey, New Zealand’s foremost authority on this subject.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The whole of Aotearoa must come out in peaceful but determined and relentless opposition to this attempted violation of our Sovereignty, before it is too late.
PRESS RELEASE 05/12 – #D7 THE BIG PUSH
The Auckland Branch of the “Aotearoa is Not for Sale” Committee has called for a “Big Push” in support of the petition against Asset Sales on Friday, at 6 PM.
The march will begin at Britomart, and proceed to Aotea Square. Phil Twyford, Hone Harawira and Jane Kelsey are expected to speak.
ANFS is broad coalition of organisations from across the political spectrum, united against the sale of New Zealand’s assets. Members of “Aotearoa is Not for Sale” have held a number of marches and events during 2012 to raise public awareness of the threat that the government’s asset sales agenda poses to our economic self-sufficiency.
This march is in celebration of the fact that more than 300,000 people have already signed the petition. As part of the Big Push, we hope to reach our target of 310,000 verifiable signatures by the date of the march.
Strong endorsements have been received from the New Zealand Labour Party, the Mana Movement, the Green Party, New Zealand First, the Alliance, the Council of Trade Unions, the CTU Runanga Kaimahi Maori, the Unite Union, MUNZ, the Working Womens Resource Centre, We are the University, the Tamaki Housing Action Group, Kia Maia Ratana Church, Climate Justice Aotearoa, the Migrant Workers Association and Socialist Aotearoa. Members of these groups are encouraged to attend with friends and supporters.
For further information, contact Joe Carolan on 0294455702.
Well, @AOTEAROA IS NOT FOR SALE’s Street Party Against Privatisation came and went. I can now muster up the energy to reflect back and take it all in and give props to everyone that made it happen and those who came along to tautoko the kaupapa.
Firstly, a huge thank you to the performers! The fantastic AK Samba who helped get the energy high with their Abbey Road style crossings, the rockin New Natives, funky as Kīnaki the mad DJ’s Tina Turntables, Kwinton Vybz, Gary C, Jah Red Lion, Locksteady and the rest of the crew; big ups to Tobi Muir, Lynn Muir, Andy Pearce and all your lovely assistants. A Huge thank you to KFM for hooking us up with power, cheers John and all the awesome DJs who got behind our event and got us up on their shows. www.kfmradio.co.nz.
Also big thanks to 95bFM too for hosting us on The Wire and plugging our event. Of course we couldn’t do it without the wonderful Stacey, Mary-Ellen and Sophie who looked after our Tamariki Zone. After a few games of tug of war with the Police, we managed to keep our space for the little ones. Also, thanks to our awesome Pirate Vegabond Pirate ‘Johnny Cool’! Big apologies for the snow not being able to pull into K Rd! Due to the heavy Police presence at the start, we had to delay the snows arrival then they wouldn’t let the truck in. We are very guttered about this and will make sure there is enough snow next time to make up for it!
Also, big ups to the K Road community, the locals and businesses for sharing your space with us. We ensured to leave it all as clean as how when we arrived. Thanks to the rain for coming along right on cue as pack up happened to wash away the chalk. Did you guys see that rainbow? Pretty cool. And a huge thanks to Tim and Phil and the rest of the team at Verona Cafe for keeping us fed and hydrated, lending us your stage AND for having some sweet DJs in your booth to keep the punters groovin.
A huge thanks to all our speakers, Jane Kelsey and Joe from www.itsourfuture.org.nz, John Minto from Mana and the Tamaki Housing Group, Joe Carolan from Socialist Aotearoa, Phil Twyford from Labour and Gary Parsloe from MUNZ. Big thanks to the Soup Appreciation Society(S.A.S) for hooking up the delicious and free Leek and Potato soup, thanks to Socialist Aotearoa, ANFS and the TPPA crew for having info stands. Also, a huge thanks to Shane and George for your late night poster runs, and Bill and Phantom for chucking up posters around town too, thanks to Doug for your guillotine that always makes for a fun ending to our events, Linda and the media crew, Marc and Laura for your puppets and to anyone else I may have left out, you’re awesome.
A huge thank you to all who came along on the day, we even had people drive up from Whanganui for the event, too much! Even those who sent messages from out of Auckland in solidarity, we hope you enjoyed the photos and videos and live updates. Especially to those who stuck it out through the showers, we hope you enjoyed reclaiming the street with us and even though there were only about 300 of us, the government has no choice but to listen up, coz we ain’t going nowhere until we know that our assets remain in our hands!
Finally a huge thanks and pat on the back to the ANFS crew in Auckland for making it happen, and an extra special thanks to Miriam for again being a great MC, Sian and Tobi for organising the bands and djs, Pekollo Ward for just being a great master of helper of everything and to Unite Union for giving us the space to meet every other week. If I’ve forgotten anyone, it’s because I need more sleep and didn’t mean to forget..there are also some huge supporters which want to remain anonymous, you know who you are, we couldn’t have done it without every single one of you.
AOTEAROA IS NOT FOR SALE – “STREET PARTY AGAINST PRIVATISATION” ON K’ ROAD, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3 2012.
Thursday November 1
Aotearoa Is Not For Sale is reclaiming the street (Karangahape Road) for the people of New Zealand this Saturday November 3. Starting from 2pm, the fun-filled street party protest will have musicians, DJs, information stalls, circus performers, a kids’ zone (with two tonnes of snow!) and speakers. Revolutionary fun for the whole whanau!
ANFS Auckland has held two significant marches and smaller actions against asset sales this year, but with summer on its way it is time for the community to demonstrate their opposition in a new way; by partying against privatization. The street party is an opportunity for people to come together in unity, both to celebrate what we still own as a country, and to challenge the plans of the National-led Government to sell us out to private investors, be they from New Zealand or overseas.
“Although the government has been forced to halt the sale of state assets until next year, we still have a long fight ahead of us if we want to scrap this hugely unpopular plan altogether” says ANFS Spokesperson Miriam Pierard. “John Key says that no one owns the water, so we say no one owns the streets! The people are taking back K’Road for the day, and everyone is invited.”
The Government is facing louder and more varied opposition to the sale of our assets, with the petition for the referendum gathering signatures by the day and the Maori Council taking the Government to court next month. Aotearoa Is Not For Sale is delighted to offer this street party as yet another way the people of New Zealand can tell the Government again, “Aotearoa is STILL not for sale!”
ANFS warmly invites everyone who is against the sale of our state assets to come to this peaceful and playful party on K Road, between the intersections of Pitt and Queen Streets. Bring your friends, family, picnic blankets and a positive attitude!
Our fantastic music line-up includes:
AK Samba, Kīnaki, Mice on Stilts, Penny Dreadfuls, New Natives! Also with DJs Tina Turntables, Jafa Mafia, Scalper live, Exile, Locksteady, Issa, Flex, Oogun, Azbo, Kwinton Vybz & Tommy Flowers and many more!
AOTEAROA IS NOT FOR SALE “STREET PARTY AGAINST PRIVATISATION” ON K’ ROAD, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3 2012.
Thursday October 25
Aotearoa Is Not For Sale is reclaiming the street (Karangahape Road) for the people of New Zealand on Saturday November 3. Starting from 2pm, the fun-filled street party protest will have musicians, DJs, stalls, circus performers, a kids’ zone and speakers. Revolutionary fun for the whole whanau!
ANFS Auckland has held two significant marches and smaller actions against asset sales this year, but with summer on its way it is time for the community to demonstrate their opposition in a new way; by partying against privatization.
“Although the government has been forced to halt the sale of state assets until next year, we still have a long fight ahead of us if we can scrap this hugely unpopular plan altogether” says ANFS Spokesperson Miriam Pierard. “John Key says that no one owns the water, so we say no one owns the streets! The people are taking back K’Road for the day, and everyone is invited.”
The Government is facing louder and more varied opposition to the sale of our assets, with the petition for the referendum gathering signatures by the day and the Maori Council taking the Government to court next month. Aotearoa Is Not For Sale is delighted to offer this street party as yet another way the people of New Zealand can tell the Government again, “Aotearoa is STILL not for sale!”
Music lineup confirmed to date:
Mice on Stilts, Penny Dreadfuls, New Natives, DJs Tina Turntables, Tobi Jafa, Scalper live, Exile, Locksteady, Issa, Flex, Oogun, Azbo, Kwinton Vybz & Tommy Flowers!
The ANFS Auckland Branch Committee has announced a Street Party Against Privatisation, in K Road, on 3 November 2012.
Even though the government has put its plans to sell on “hold” we are continuing the fight on the streets!
We will have bands, performers, street theatre, kids zone, speakers and all sorts happening! Come along, bring the family and get involved
Anyone keen on performing or being a part of the event, please message the Aotearoa is Not for Sale page, cheers!
Not in Auckland? Organise your own Street Party Against Privatisation in your area with your local support network. Steal our posters! Shamelessly plug your event on our Auckland Facebook Event Page! Let the world know on 3 November that Aotearoa is NOT for Sale!
You are invited to the Auckland Branch Meeting of Aotearoa Is Not For Sale this Thursday evening at 7pm, Unite Union (6a Western Springs Rd, Morningside).
We will be discussing the Trans Pacific Partnership and what its signing will mean for NZ’s future sovereignty, as well as planning for our Reclaim the Streets action happening on November 3.
Professor Jane Kelsey (TPP Watch and University of Auckland law school) will be our guest speaker on the TPP.
In political discussions regarding the purpose of tertiary education, there are two fundamentally different camps. The first rests upon a conviction that the university is supposed to act solely as an extension of the free market, and that the main intention with tertiary studies is to generate wealth for the private sector. According to this group, studies of the arts and the social sciences are unimportant, seeing as they are less likely to serve capitalism.
The other group, however, recognises that a functional society needs the context and the moderating influences provided by the humanities. Adherents of this side in no way despise those who study finance, but believe that society benefits from i.e. history, sociology, philosophy and anthropology. It realises that the university is an institution where an understanding of contemporary life, rather than the skills of making profit, is the ultimate aim. The second camp argues that all education is needed, and defends the right of everyone, regardless of socio-economic background, to obtain academic knowledge; education is the torch with which the individual navigates through the dark terrain of society.
The National Party is, not very astonishingly, a supporter of the first camp. The party aims to discourage students from engaging in studies which do not result in immediate financial return. Students are seen as commodities in the market. This became clear when the changes to Study Link were presented, eliminating student allowance for postgraduate studies from next year. This is not crucial to students within business and finance, since they are quite likely to have their financial sacrifice rewarded by a well paid place within the corporate sector afterwards. For the social scientist or historian from a humble socio-economic background, however, a change such as this has severe consequences. He or she is now forced to think twice, before taking on the economic challenge of postgraduate studies.
Herein lies the connection to asset sales; privatisation undermines the role of education in society, substituting individualism and the profit motive for altruism and investment simply for the greater good.
This policy thus manages to kill two birds with one stone: the theft of public by private concerns, and decreasing the number of citizens educated enough to challenge and critique the Neo-Liberal agenda.
When considering asset sales, it is important to keep the educational system in mind. Even though education is just one of many sectors slated to suffer, it is a vital one, and it deserves a greater place in the discussion. Ultimately, New Zealand must make a choice between two models; the corporatised American system, with runaway tuition fees and token State support, or the classical New Zealand socialist model, where people come before profit, and all citizens enjoy a right to both free tertiary education and extensive social support from the state.
PRESS RELEASE – AOTEAROA IS NOT FOR SALE SUPPORTS NATIONAL HUI ON WATER
Aotearoa Is Not For Sale supports the national hui that will be held today at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia.
“Maori hold a unique role in protecting the assets and future of our whenua and all New Zealanders who live on it,” says ANFS Spokesperson Miriam Pierard. “We hope that the hui today sees a cooperation between iwi and other Maori groups to ensure that this role is maintained.”
“ANFS will continue to support Tangata Whenua in their struggle to have their rights and responsibilities as kaitiaki recognized and upheld. Respect for te Tiriti o Waitangi is a reminder of the need for the government to protect the rights of Maori and all other New Zealanders, who built these assets together, and who together assert that the government cannot sell them.”
Aotearoa Is Not For Sale stands for the retention of all SOEs by all New Zealanders. No special deals. No special shares. No special payments. No asset sales means no asset sales at all, to anyone.
We will not be divided like our assets. We will be united, we will not be silenced, we will resist this together.
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Well, @AOTEAROA IS NOT FOR SALE’s Street Party Against Privatisation came and went. I can now muster up the energy to reflect back and take it all in and give props to everyone that made it happen and those who came along to tautoko the kaupapa.
info stands. Also, a huge thanks to Shane and George for your late night poster runs, and Bill and Phantom for chucking up posters around town too, thanks to Doug for your guillotine that always makes for a fun ending to our events, Linda and the media crew, Marc and Laura for your puppets and to anyone else I may have left out, you’re awesome.
AOTEAROA IS NOT FOR SALE “STREET PARTY AGAINST PRIVATISATION” ON K’ ROAD, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3 2012.
The ANFS Auckland Branch Committee has announced a Street Party Against Privatisation, in K Road, on 3 November 2012.
by admin
Aotearoa vs the TPPA: The Resistance Begins
December 11, 2012 in Activism, Events, Media, Political Commentary, Protest
First, apologies for the delay in getting this post put up here. It is far better to get the facts right first, even if it means a delay, than to be forced later to print a retraction.
As well, it takes time to carefully wade through and publish the mountains of video evidence that goes into producing an accurate picture of an event as momentous as Auckland’s D8 protest against the TPPA.
Rather than report it blow by blow, making this post far too big, I will take the best video clips available of the key events and let them speak for themselves.
First, the basics; on D7 (December 7, 2012) the Auckland ANFS committee called a march to celebrate the near completion of the petition, and to urge us all to work to finish it soon. Here is the first of several videos on this topic;
This video is one of 6 D7 videos found on ActioNZMedia.
Note: Subscribe to ActioNZMedia to get more ANFS and other action-video postcards from the front lines in Aotearoa.
Like all ANFS protests, D7 was entirely peaceful. So peaceful in fact, that the police hardly showed up, except to direct traffic, and there were scant news reports that night of the march.
So then what happened on D8, the Anti-TPPA march on the following day? By now, most people will have heard reports of violence at that protest, in complete contrast to D7. What really went on?
D8 started normally, and once again, as always, the protest was orderly and well organised. Here is a video of the march from Aotea Square to SkyCity in Federal Street;
In Federal Street, Jane Kelsey prepared to deliver a petition signed by 750 THOUSAND people from around the world, opposing the TPPA;
Unfortunately, Jane was rebuffed by representatives of the TPPA, even though she was a registered “Interested Party” to the negotiations.
Their envoy rejected and excluded from the negotiations in such an arrogant manner, the crowd then decided to protest at the door of the Grand Hotel. With more than 500 protesters in the street and near the door, the noise was deafening. The first protesters arriving at the door found it relatively lightly guarded, and in fact it was not locked. One protester tried to open the door and partially succeeded, but decided not to continue or call for assistance, so as to avoid creating a dangerous situation. When she let the door go, security quickly swarmed in to fill the gap.
The protest got stronger at the door, as the front area of the hotel filled up, but it remained entirely peaceful. Protesters can be heard chanting to be let into the negotiations, but this refers to the rejection of Jane Kelsey, the envoy, which only happened moments before, not to protesters themselves – there was no real attempt to get into the building.
As more people came into the area, it got more crowded, and there was some light jostling, but nothing serious. However, about 5 minutes after police and security came to the door area, a police officer violently shoved a protester. This was “The Shove that Started it All”;
Stills of the officer involved appear to show the officer smiling or grinning after shoving the young man. But the trouble this causes should wipe the smile off of the face of anyone who expects better from the police; from this point, bedlam ensues, and people start getting hurt.
The video evidence shows it’s a mostly one-sided affair; in the video, protesters are seen being shoved and thrown around – some can be seen holding their hands in the air in a gesture of surrender, even as security guards continue to assault them. Other protesters can be heard calmly directing the removal of dangerous objects from the space, even though the crush and the assault by police is intensifying. Screams of pain and fear are heard. The protesters were not fighting, they were being attacked.
Even still, the broad assault by the police officer and security guards does not result in a melee, contrary possibly to their expectations. So it appears, from the best evidence available, that at least two other attempts may have been made by certain police to “kick it off”, when a strange, motorcycle-helmeted officer, supported by a line of ordinary uniformed police moves into the middle of the crowd, and allegedly punches a woman in the face. The protesters are angered by this, but the scuffle still remains isolated and does not spread. After this, the officer in the helmet later appears to have another go, at the fringes of the protest, and fails a second time.
If you have watched the previous videos, you can fast-forward to 4:00 to pick up the action, including the second altercation with the strange helmeted officer at 6:00.
In this video, a small flag is symbolically burned (not show), and then the boxes representing the petition which could not be delivered are also burned (shown). It’s a small cardboard and paper fire in the middle of the road – no one is hurt and no damage is done. But the symbolic fire is a side-show; what we observe is that whenever the police are absent, the protesters mill around peacefully and calmly – only when the police come is there any physical violence.
The protest concludes in good order as the protesters, now about 200 strong march back down to Queen Street and on to Aotea Square. There, they assemble to discuss what has happened and have a final rally. However, as this video shows at 8:30, approximately 20 police suddenly show up out of nowhere, after it’s all over, to arrest one 19 year old girl… all 158 centimeters and 59 kgs of her. This cause yet another altercation.
While not all of the evidence is available, it appears from the videos above that certain police repeatedly provoked ordinarily peaceful protesters during and after the protest rally on D8. The question is, “Why?”
1. WHY DID CERTAIN POLICE APPEAR TO PROVOKE PROTESTERS AT THE TPPA NEGOTIATIONS?
and the most important question of all…
2. WHY ARE THESE NEGOTIATIONS BEING HELD IN SUCH EXTREME SECRECY?
If this was such a great deal for New Zealand, the government would not wish to keep it a secret. They would want us to know everything about it. But if instead, they are really planning to sell us down the river, it stands to reason they would keep it a secret as long as possible, and they would want to deliver a harsh lesson to anyone who dared challenge it.
For a more detailed discussion of these questions, have a look here and here.
Or, if you don’t feel like reading, listen to Stephen Parry, a lawyer, an expert on the TPPA, and an associate of Jane Kelsey, New Zealand’s foremost authority on this subject.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
The whole of Aotearoa must come out in peaceful but determined and relentless opposition to this attempted violation of our Sovereignty, before it is too late.
The Resistance begins now…
Kia kaha!
Tags: D8, TPPA No Comments »