Protests across Aotearoa | No NZ support for US war machine

It was a great day with good speakers and high profile protestors.. I have a video over here If you go there and click on the 'No to War' banner, or you can also download it from here it's the last on the list under Global Peace & Justice title. I hope Helen Clark hears the message! cheers!

Yes Dave, I remeber those marches were marked by hooliganism and violence only to counter its purpose. While the main purpose was to highlight objectives on the national and global media, there was none about it on national tv. That's why I posted a video for all to see, and marked it from Auckland on the internet. It has reached more people than your waffle about Capitalism. You can view it in here 'videomeister'

Dave, are you saying marching up and down Queen Street alone can achieve peaceful resolutions in Iraq and the Middle East? Tell us, how can this be achieved!!

I think that, in New Zealand at least, one of the key reasons for the relatively small size of the active anti-war movement is a feeling that nothing can be done about the situation in Iraq. The vast majority of Kiwis oppose Bush's war - even before the invasion an opinion poll put the figure at 70% - but many of these people feel that protesting in the streets is no longer a worthwhile activity, because Kiwi troops are not directly involved in the conflict.

This is one of the reasons why I think that the anti-war movement should be highlighting the role of New Zealand forces in what can be considered the Asia-Pacific front of the War of Terror being conducted by US imperialism and its allies around the world. The occupations of the Solomon Islands and East Timor are cut from the same cloth as the operation in Iraq, and the Clark government is up to its neck in both.

Less than two weeks before the actions on the 17th, Kiwi troops were directly involved in an operation that led to the killing of at least four East Timorese. In the aftermath of those killings NZ troops were involved in putting down anti-occupation demonstrations in the East Timorese capital Dili. They were also involved in the Mugabe-style eviction of 8,000 people from a refugee camp on the edge of Dili earlier this year, and there are claims that, together with the Australians, they are systematically depriving opponents of the Horta-Gusmao regime of vitally needed supplies of rice.

All this is going on in our backyard, yet most New Zealanders are ignorant of it. Swathes of the left and the anti-war movement seem ashamed even to mention it. At the demonstration in Auckland last Saturday GPJA representative John Minto led chants that recalled the memory of Fallujah, Abu Ghraib, Bagram prison and a number of other sites of US atrocities in the years since 9/11 - but he had nothing to say about the bloody Anzac operation in East Timor on March the 4th, let alone the invasion of May the 25th last year.

GPJA had invited Keith Locke to speak at the end of the demonstration. I have no objection to anyone taking advantage of the open mike that should be fixture of anti-war demos, but is Locke really somebody who should invited to speak at an anti-imperialist? He is, after all, one of the most enthusiastic local supporters of the occupations in the Solomons and East Timor.

Locke's party endlessly expresses its approval of the role NZ troops are playing in both countries, and even sent an MP to give the thumbs up to the fraudulent elections held last year in the Solomons. There is very little to separate the Greens from Labour and National, when it comes to Anzac imperialism in the Asia-Pacific region.

It was good to see some young people on last Saturday's demo turn their backs on Locke and burn a New Zealand flag. The anti-war movement should take its lead from them, and confront New Zealand nationalism head on, instead of buying Locke's spurious argument that Kiwi and Aussie troops are baddies in the Middle East but goodies in East Timor and the Solomons.

This week the Clark government is sending more troops to bolster the failing Australian-led occupation in East Timor. We know that there is massive popular opposition to Anzac occupation in East Timor and the Solomons. When are we going to express our solidarity with them?
(Scott)

"Anti-war demonstrations WILL took place all around the...."

typo

Do you people protest about Mugabes landgrabs, Putins occupation of Chechneya or Chinese occupation of Tibet?
No?
Didnt think so.
These are not anti-war marches they are anti-american marches!
hypocrites.

Anti
Anti War
Anti Labour
Anti Greens
Anti Helen
Anti Panti

But what Tibetans are fighting for autonomy? The Dalia Llama representing the remnants of the theocratic ruling class? Even he doesnt fight, he blathers on to the media to pressure 'Western' public opinion to restore the theocracy.

Of course we must defend Tibet against China's oppression, but as to whether we will see the prospect of a genuine Tibetan independence movement emerging separated from wider class struggles in China, I remain unconvinced.

What I am saying is that it is much more likely that a socialist revolution will take place in China which will open the way for Tibetan self-determination, than an independence movement in Tibet will generate mass popular support.

The reasons for this are that the extreme contradictions China is undergoing between the rapidly growing working class and the imperialist exploiters with the bureaucracy in the middle, opens up the prospect of huge class battles that will carry over into Tibet, pushing Tibetan workers into class alliances against the remnants of the theocratic ruling class who will side with imperialism and the Chinese bureaucracy rather than face a socialist revolution.

But if I am wrong, and a mass popular movement does develop in Tibet separated from the class struggles that arise in China, then of course we would support it in order to prove to Tibetan workers that is is international working class struggle and not the Tibetan ruling class that will win genuine independence.

The struggle for national independence is in essence a class question because only the mass of workers and poor peasants can actually defeat imperialism and other forms of national oppression to win the liberation of national peoples.

"""""Do you people protest about Mugabes landgrabs, Putins occupation of Chechneya or Chinese occupation of Tibet?No?Didnt think so.
These are not anti-war marches they are anti-american marches!
hypocrites.""""' WHAT A LALA LAND LOONIE even yanks know thier evil empire cannot be compared with, what's amazing is how many fools are still running round thinkin yankee doodle is some sort of good guy!! WTF??

"Four years after the invasion of Iraq any real anger has gone out of the 'movement'."

though it is partially true, there is nothing stopping you from pulling down the flag organising more demos or anything.
instaed of complaining about the lack of anger/radicalisim in the demos try planning a more radical next one?

(yes i do note the irony in complaining about comlaints, but it needed saying)

Till Elton

Ok dave relooking at your first post, I probobly did get the wrong impression of it, secondly the peace movement is doing all it can with its lack of members and resources we need too fix the fact that in the countrys largest city only 300 people think an anti war demo is good use of their time. you cant have mass organised action without masses.

(nb my name is Till not Tim)