Socialist Aotearoa is a working class revolutionary organisation. We believe that capitalism must be overthrown and replaced with a world of equality and workers' democracy.
Plato versus the Police.
Get link
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
-
Eyewitness to Police Brutality, from Linda M, Socialist Aotearoa.
This
report is based on what I personally observed. I was present for the
entire protest and recorded much of it. I have also seen recordings of
other parts I did not directly witness, and spoke to many students
involved, from the very start, all the way to the concluding meeting in
the Quad after 7PM.
To make it absolutely clear, I saw no
violence or provocation from the students whatsoever at any time during
the protest. I do not consider shouting and moving about to be violent
or provocative, but are natural to protests. The students were severely
provoked, but they kept it together, and were incredibly disciplined. I
was very proud of them and their good conduct.
Initially,
there were more than 1000 students, though only a quarter were actively
participating in the action. The rest were just observing. Though the
police were surrounded, the students were not menacing the police in any
way. The sit-down was very orderly, and when police drew perimeters,
the students respected them, even going so far as to walk around the
block to cross the street. The students were in no way a threat to the
police.
The peaceful intentions of the students were very clear
from the start. A large sound system was brought, and Dr. Campbell
Jones attempted to deliver a teach-in on Plato. However as soon as Dr.
Jones began to read, the police moved in on the students, which caused
an immediate ruckus, and Dr. Jones' lecture was drowned out. That
appeared to me to be a deliberate move by the police to disrupt the
event.
The students were systematically arrested one by one for
"blocking the road", yet it was the police vehicles which were blocking
one half of the road, the half where the students were. On the other
half of the road the students allowed traffic to continue, and for a
time buses and cars traveled down the road, but the police stopped them.
Cones could have been set up earlier and traffic directed around the
students. There was no need to block off the entire street. At no time
did the students block both sides of the road except when trying to
cross Symonds street en masse. Even afterward, after they went onto
Queen Street, the students remained respectful of drivers. Students
brought traffic cones with them to help keep good order on the roads and
prevent drivers from being confused. That showed a lot of intelligence
and foresight on their part.
From the outset, until they
finally decamped, a minority of police officers were very aggressive,
making it appear as if the majority were violent. Two officers in
particular were throwing dangerous punches, and one young woman, Rachel,
the first to be arrested was being choked as she was dragged off. She
had not been aggressive or provocative in any way. This incident was
recorded.
I would also like to say I was particularly
distressed to see Omar punched in the throat the way he was. He did not
retaliate in any way, he just shrugged it off, but he could have been
very seriously injured.
Tom also got punched from what I could see, but he did not respond in kind either.
Nico was also bleeding from the forehead, though I did not see that
incident, I understand it was due to having his head pressed into the
street with excessive force.
The police were just over the top.
There was no need for that. Their violence did not accomplish
anything except energize the students and make them more determined.
Had the police allowed the teach-in to take place, I believe that the
students would not have left the area, and would have drifted off before
5. Instead, the students were very agitated after the high number of
arrests and the attempts by the police to thwart their activities.
Driven away from Symonds street, they went searching for an outlet for
their energies and to protest in other locations. However, though there
was a lot of running and stopping and blockading, there was no property
damage or aggression at any time throughout their procession. The
students protested at Central Police Station, twice in Queen Street and
at Sky City without incident. I do not believe a single public
complaint has been filed against them.
The students are to be
commended for their discipline, in spite of severe provocation. I am
sure that provided the Police do not do worse next time, the students
will continue to be peaceful in their campaign. The students have a
right to protest, they have genuine grievances that need to be heard,
and they should be allowed to hold their blockades without fear of being
injured.
My Two Cents By Laura Hardin As with any presidential election, the American pubic will once again be asked to head to the polls to test which campaign slogans proved more effective. We can either vote for the fairy tale of “hope and change” or we can cast our vote for the “Maverick’s from Main Street.” The McCain/Palin ticket has just recently been trying to lure the middle class with their new Main Street myth, an attempt to portray themselves as sympathizers who understand how this economic crisis is affecting the majority of America. In the Vice Presidential debate last Thursday Palin said that credit markets is where "mainstreeters like me" would feel the effects of the meltdown. And earlier last week, presidential nominee John McCain said of the bailout, “The first thing I’d do is say, ‘Let’s not call it a bailout. Let’s call it a rescue,’ Because it is a rescue. It’s a rescue of Main Street America.” You know what you’ll find on most Main Streets in most American towns
Interview with Joe Carolan by Jennifer Pannell. The sudden resignation of Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand and Labour Party Leader, on the 19th January this year was a shock to many around the world. She was held up by the global mainstream press as a beacon of strong and empathetic leadership in the face of numerous crises throughout her two terms. In her emotional resignation speech, she gave little hint as to why she was stepping down, stating “having reflected over summer I know I no longer have that bit extra in the tank to do the job justice. It’s that simple.” ' As a socialist, Joe, what’s your analysis of why Ardern resigned? There is a narrative that as a female Prime Minister, she experienced vicious, relentless trolling - death threats and attacks from a deeply misogynistic far-right led mob, who thought she was a dictator, a tyrant, a Communist. This is similar to the ideology used by the far-right in many other countries; in America, in Ireland, etce
Please Print Out, Copy and Put up! The weekend before the election, join the rally for a decent minimum wage- $15ph NOW! For posters and leaflets, contact Joe at 021 1861450 RALLY AGAINST LOW PAY- $15 per hour minimum wage now! As Capitalism crashes, the resistance gathers... Event Info Host: Socialist Aotearoa Type: Causes - Rally Time and Place Date: 01 November 2008 Time: 14:00 - 17:00 Location: Aotea Square Street: Queen Street Town/City: Auckland, New Zealand View Map Google MapQuest Microsoft Yahoo Phone: 0211861450 Email: solidarityjoe@yahoo.com The Gathering Storm. In recent months, low paid people have taken strike action in casinos, banks, fastfood outlets, supermarkets and on the busses. Low pay is crippling a generation of workers who are now expected to bear the brunt of a vicious global recession. It's time the resistance gathered. We're not going to pay for their crisis. We're not going to endure low pay anymore. A new generation is going to resist the Glob
Comments