Socialist Aotearoa

On December 20th, supporters of Occupy Auckland marched from the occupation in Aotea Square to the US Consulate, to protest the American government's material support of the Military Junta that killed ten people and injured over 900 more in vicious attacks on Tahrir Square the day before. The next day, December 21st, the Auckland Council was successful in getting a Court Order to evict Occupy Auckland from Aotea Square, and has given 48 hours notice for the occupiers to leave. Political organisations and social movements such as MANA, the Unite Union, and the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party have also been singled out for draconian attack, in a ruling that sees legitimate political protest criminalised. This was done by Len Brown's Council, a council and a mayor that purports to be left wing, a Mayor that purports to represent workers, the low paid, Maori and Pasifika. Yet we see in his city state tenants facing eviction from their homes in Glen Innes, workers fighting for fa

From Tahrir to Aotea- Solidarity with the Egyptian Revolution. Down with the military dictatorship- meet at Occupy in Aotea Sq at 5pm Tuesday December 20th, then go down to US Consulate for picket against US arming Egypt's Junta. The “Cabinet Offices” Massacre: a new crime by the sons of Mubarak in power Statement by the Revolutionary Socialists of Egypt 17 December 2011 9 martyrs … 500 injured … this is the result of confrontations between the Egyptian Occupying Forces and the revolutionaries in a fresh attempt to bring the revolution to its knees and to bring back the Mubarak regime. And why not? After all, the leaders of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces are the sons of Mubarak, and they are loyal to their economic self-interests. The generals of SCAF control around 20 percent of the economy and are completely opposed to the interests of millions of working people who barely scrape a living. Most of them can’t find jobs which offer the chance of a decent life or even offer

More photos from Saturday.

One of the most inspiring things about the generally dull election this year has been the radicalisation of hiphop culture. The release of Home Brew and Tourettes's track Listen to us , the mobilisation of Maori voters by South Auckland hiphop artist Young Sid and the release of Genocide's anthem Stand Up for Mana show that the mood is shifting amongst youth. John Key's Government isn't just passively disliked but now actively hated and campaigned against by the organic intellectuals of the young, poor and the restless. The aggressive and racist tactics of the New Zealand police towards first Tiki Taane in Tauranga and just recently Scribe in Wellington for freestyling an anti-police rap is illustrative of the arbitrary and discriminatory nature of New Zealand's justice system where young Maori and Polynesian men are targeted and profiled by an aggressive police force disconnected with the communities they operate in. Maybe the clearest sign that hiphop is on the

Hundreds marched on Queen Street on Saturday to protest the government's plans to evict families from state houses in Glen Innes. A massive Mana presence, a big Socialist Aotearoa contingent and support from Greens and Labour all bolstered the demonstration. G.I. residents reiterated their commitment to resist the evictions and stand together against the destuction of their community.

The announcement of National's coalition deal with Act MP to create charter schools in Christchurch and south Auckland has been condemned by education unions, principals and left political parties. Predictably it is being welcomed with open arms by the Business Roundtable and other nefarious neo-liberals. Disturbing has been the creep into Christchurch reminiscent of the drive for charter school creation in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. In New Orleans 70 percent of students go to charter schools, where the schools have been " expelling students with learning disabilities at twice the rate of charter schools elsewhere in the country. In the UK where charter schools are known as academies teachers' unions are discussing strike waves to stop the sell off of public schools. As one teacher said, "There is a plan, cooked up in corporate boardrooms, to make profit out of state education." Socialist Aotearoa stands behind pupils, teachers and parents who will fi

At the Mana Movement's Post Electoral Hui in Otara on Sunday October 4th, newly elected President Annette Sykes declares war on poverty in Aotearoa, promising that Mana "will move this country decidedly to the Left" and that "We will help the Poor to fight the Rich".

Unite Union held its 2nd National Conference in early December, with over 180 organisers coming from sites as diverse as Language schools, Cinemas, Security, Hotels, Skycity Casino, Call Centres and of course, the quick service restaurants of KFC, McDonalds and Burger King. Members of Socialist Aotearoa have been active with Unite union from the start as members, delegates and organisers, and it was powerful to see such a large turn out of workers ready not just to defend, but to fight for better wages and conditions. At a cross union panel on Where Now for the Workers Movement after the Election, the argument for workers to step up and go on the offensive won huge applause from delegates. and there wasn't a dry eye in the house after the testimony of locked out boner Meat Leon Perns testified about the plight of the CMP Meat workers in Marton.

Yvonne from GI names the price- "Old people will die alone"- Local Unite organiser Joe Carolan- "Young workers will never have a house"- Tory tells the people- "Sit down and be quiet" Bureaucrat Graham goes to the Markets- PPP behind social cleansing Evil Tory is a "Change manager"- if you want jobs and houses, you need to upskill Evil Tory Bureaucrat Part Two

100 Marton meatworkers look set to spend Christmas on the picketline as their employer refuses to backdown on its attack on these workers living standards. ANZCO CMP, a profitable overseas owned corporation wants a 20% pay cut from these workers and cuts to allowances The workers have been locked out over 40 days now but are standing strong, bolstered by donations of food and money from unionists and socialists around the country as well as solid community support. The workers are also reaching out to other union members and have been joined on the picket by firefighters, meat workers from around the country and students from Wellington. The locked out union members are holding their headhigh and know that what happens in Marton will have an impact all around the country. If the working class can get a win here against a greedy multinational then workers will be inspired to fightback all around the country for more pay and against attacks on workers' rights. As locked out worker St

In the working class suburb of Glen Innes 160 families are preparing to resist mass evictions as Housing New Zealand (HNZ) moves to sell off huge blocks of state housing land to private developers. The struggle has been bubbling away in Glen Innes for some months and several protests have been held but now community opposition is building as family after family pledge to stay in their homes and resist the evictions. At a public meeting held at the end of the November an action committee was formed and a march on Town Hall is being planned for 10 December to send a message to the Government and Len Brown's city council that working class families will not not be moved from their homes. During the heated meeting it was revealed that the Chairperson of the project to "redevelop" the land into private sections was also the branch President of the local National Party. Tenants shouted loudly for her resignation. Many of the residents described to the HNZ reps what the real con

Kauaeranga valley, Coromandel: On November 28, just two days after the general election in the beautiful, native forest covered valleys of the Coromandel peninsula resistance to John Key's new National Government and the corporate plunderers they bring with them was already beginning. 50 locals, Coromandel Watchdog and Green MP Catherine Delahunty escort from the valley of waterfalls, walking tracks and mountainbike trails, surveyors from gold mining giant Newmont. Coromandel Watchdog co-ordinator Renee Annan told the media, “The public needs to know that the mining companies are still intent on mining Schedule Four land and that despite the victory in 2010, exploration activities cannot be legally stopped on this land. That is why we are taking non-violent direct action. Today's peaceful protest is just the first of many unless Newmont leave our area.” Despite the election of a right wing Government the massive swing to the Greens and the rise of the Mana Movement show that h

IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE with special guests Akir & Poison Pen and local support from DJ Substance on Friday 20th January at The Studio, Karangahape rd. After many attempts over the years, Immortal Technique will finally bring his raw political commentary to New Zealand in January 2012. Born in a military hospital in Peru, Immortal Technique moved to Harlem, New York with his family in the early 80's. Here, he became captivated with Hip Hop culture, writing graffiti and discovering his passion for rhyming. After some trouble with the law, he spent a year in prison, where he began to prolifically write down his ideas about what he had lived and seen in the struggle of New York and his visits back to his native land. On parole, he attended political science classes while selling his music on the streets. During this time he built his reputation as a ferocious battle emcee, winning numerous freestyle rap competitions in the underground hip hop scene. In 2001, Tech released his debut al

On Sunday morning the left woke up with its biggest headache in three years. Although we all expected Key to be re-elected, the shock of his victory along with wins for the right in Epsom, Ohariu Belmont, Auckland Central and Waitakere were gutting. Added to this the modest vote for Mana at 1% alongside the disappointing showing of many of the candidates, including Bradford and Minto, made the defeat even more painful. But below the surface appearance of the next Parliament, with its tiny majority for National-Act-United Future and Maori Party are some interesting trends. These are the numbers behind the numbers that activists should understand. The numbers behind the numbers "A million eligible New Zealanders did not bother to vote in Saturday's election, producing the lowest turnout in percentage terms in 120 years. Turnout dropped by just over 90,000, from 79.5 per cent of those on the rolls in 2008 to 73.8 per cent." This must be influenced by the fact that 100,000 Ne

As the economic crisis deepens globally the ruling class continues to push its austerity agenda. On every continent the class struggle grinds on but it is clear that this is just the beginning of a major depression and a major shift in global politics. Globally the picture is mixed. In Egypt a second revolution, this time against the military government, is unfolding in Tahrir square but in Syria the bloody suppression of democracy protests has quickly created a situation of revolutionary civil war. In the UK and Portugal general strikes this month are planned against austerity attacks and could derail the cuts to workers living standards but in Greece, Spain and Italy administrations promising more pain for working people have taken control forcing millions of European workers, students and youth to increase the militancy and combativity of their protests and strikes . In the US the Occupy movement appears to be losing traction in city squares as local authorities brutally evict m

Army officer greeted by crowds. He leads the chants "down with the Scaf" Nearly a year into our glorious revolution, the regime of oppression and corruption led by the SCAF has not ceased to impose itself by force, attempting to erase traces of the revolution and to prevent the impoverished, toiling masses from reaping the fruits of their great struggle. The regime of repression that is protected by the military had imagined that the revolution was buried and ended, and that the people that rose up last January and destroyed the massive machines of oppression would today submit in the face of tear gas canisters, cartridges and live ammunition. The multitude now facing death in the name of rescuing the revolution, in confronting remnants of the criminal regime shall triumph as they have triumphed before. And the tools of oppression that were smashed on 28th January will be destroyed anew at the will of the revolutionaries. The regime has proven beyond a doubt t