BreaktheChains.info: Global day of action against state terror in Aotearoa / New Zealand

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Global day of action against state terror in Aotearoa / New Zealand

02 Sep 2008 Indymedia

Trade Unions for Tino Rangatiratanga
Demonstrations and protests were held around the world on August 30th for the global day of action to 'Drop the Charges' against the 20 people arrested in the nationwide State Terror Raids of 15 October 2007 in Aotearoa / New Zealand. The deposition hearing (i.e. the pre-trial) starts in the Auckland District Court on Monday, 1 September 2008. [ Report | Photos ]

On Monday, October 15th 2007, more than 300 police carried out dawn raids on dozens of houses all over Aotearoa / New Zealand. Police claim the raids were in response to 'concrete terrorist threats' from indigenous activists. The reality, however, included heavily armed police terrorising an entire township. To date, no evidence of the so-called terrorist plot has been revealed.
Police arrested 17 indigenous, anarchist, environmental and anti-war activists, including people from T¨±hoe, Te Atiawa, Maniapoto, Ng¨¡ Puhi and Pakeha. Police wanted to charge 12 people under the Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA), however the Solicitor-General denied the police permission to proceed. After four weeks in jail everyone was released on bail. On Tuesday, February 19th 2008, police raided further properties, arresting 3 more men. All were released on bail with strict conditions that same day. A woman was arrested on Thursday April 17th, 2008, and also faces charges under the Arms Act.
Links: October 15th Solidarity | Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe | AoCafe | Civil Rights Defence | Te Kotahi a Tuhoe | T¨±hoe: History of resistance | Tu Kotahi - Freedom Fighting Anthems

Aotearoa / New Zealand demos

Auckland: On a cold and miserable day, the cries of "No More Police State!" echoed through central Auckland's as over 200 Maori, trade unionists and left wingers joined a rally to defend the Urewewa 20, and remember the State Terror Raids of October 15th last year. People left in high spirits, with the movement that began last October 15th re-ignited and ready to fight. [ Report | 1 | 2 ]

Palmerston North: Images and Sounds were projected against the court house in support of the Global Day Action. International indigenous support was present with First Nations manuhiri (guests) from Turtle Island (Americas). Korero focussed on supporting Tino Rangatiratanga and Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe and the opposition to the Terrorist Suppression Act. [ Report and and ]

Wellington: 150 people went on a lively march through and stopped at the police station for a shaming history of their violence, and a pass-by of Labour Party candidate Grant Robertson's office nearly resulted in a very large broken window. Verbal abuse of the Labour Party was hurled at staff inside the office, calling the government 'racists scum'. Duncan Allan from Unite compared the struggles of working people around the world to the raids and expressed the solidarity of the union. The demo closed with a beautifully scribed piece by local musician Imon Starr who called on everyone to keep fighting and keep loving. [ Report | 1 | 2 ]

Overseas Actions

Solidarity messages from around the world

Hamburg/Congo

Participants at the recent anti-racist and climate camp in Hamburg, Germany posted a solidarity greeting to the political activists arrested in the October 15 police terror raids last year, on Aotearoa Indymedia. They also added:

Victor Nzuzi, a member of the farmers movement Via Campesina from Congo is one of the guests in the camp and ran a number of workshops around land rights and european corporations who, by means of privatisation, steal land and water of the Congolese people. He stands in solidarity with Maori around the foreshore and seabed struggle. In the Congo, fresh water is owned by Coca Cola. And in his words: "We can see power lines in the sky like birds - but we don't have any electricity in our homes. International Solidarity! Globalise our struggles!"

Philipines - Progressive Igorots for Social action

"Warm Greetings with peace and solidarity! On behalf of the Progressive Igorots for Social action we would like to extend our tight supoort and sign the solidarity statement and condemn state terrorism in your community and all the communities around the globe which are suffering from this kind of violence against our fellow advocates for tino rangatiratanga.Our solid participation in activities like this will further bring us to victory against Imperialism and to attain our so longed long for self determination!!! Viva Tino Rangatiratanga!!!!!"

Solidarity Statement

We demand the unconditional freedom of the people who are facing charges as a result of the state terror raids on 15 October 2007.

Attempts by the Police to lay charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA) failed but people are still facing politically motivated charges under the Arms Act. These charges are the result of a racist operation.

Police used the Terrorism Suppression Act and over $8 million to harass and punish political activists who they saw as supporting Tino Rangatiratanga.

The Police have arrested a few people but we're all targeted. The arrests of 15 October are aimed at intimidating and frightening all of our communities and cannot be tolerated.

We therefore call on everyone to stand up against this attack on our communities. We support the global day of action on 30 August 2008 and are mobilising to demand the unconditional freedom of the people facing charges as a result of the state terror raids.

The solidarity statement was signed by many groups and individuals from around the world. The following groups from outside of Aotearoa / New Zealand have expressed their support: