Aotearoa Independent Media Centre

For almost three months over a hundred people slept in tents in South Hagley Park in solidairy with occupations around the world and to highlight the massive wealth inequality that exists in this society and the problems that result from that.

The text of a talk given at Occupy Wellington, New Zealand, on October 27 2011. Around 55 people attended the talk, organised to try to counter the prevalence of conspiracy theories amongst the local wing of the Occupy movement.

Update 01/11/2011: Photos below are from the pot-luck picnic at Occupy Christchurch on Sunday 30 Nov. See also More Photos from Occupations in Aotearoa

Labour Day is the next focus for at least two of the occupations around Aotearoa which joined the Occupy Together movement on the Global Day of Action, October 15. Occupy Wellington are planning a day of activities, as are Occupy Christchurch.

Occupations are currently underway in at least 6 centres; Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. Harsh weather and internet trolling have failed to keep the occupations from being supported, and many of them are actively growing and developing every day. Response from corporate media has been mixed, mostly following the same pattern as Occupy Wall St, which was initially presented as an incoherent, disorganised rabble - amusing but impotent. But after more than a month, and with occupations spreading across the USA and the world, the concerns of the 99% are starting to break the corporate media blockade.

Online there seem to be two main responses; the predictable "why don't they get a job" and "how dare they use public space in unusual ways" comments, and others expressing support, and encouragement. Photos, videos, and blog posts about the occupations abound, many of which can be found by scraping the FaceBook pages for the various Occupy groups.

This interview with Kaye Richards looks at what it's like to live on the smell of an oily rag. 'Just about everything that isn’t nailed down goes on Trade Me and that sometimes makes the difference between paying rent or not.Interview with Kaye Richards

AWSM: Let’s start with a bit of background information. Can you tell us who you are?

Kaye: My name is Kaye Richards. I’m 40 and a solo mum living in Naenae, Lower Hutt.

AWSM: Where did you grow up? What was it like?

Kaye: I mostly grew up going back and forth between Wellington and Palmerston North because of my father’s jobs. We weren’t a rich family but we weren’t extremely poor either. We always had stuff to eat, clothes and heat, you know.

The dropping of all charges against 13 accused yesterday in the Police Operation 8 case is an enormous victory for the defendants, their whanau and supporters across the country and across the world. There are four people who continue to face charges and the struggle for their freedom will continue.

The crown has now withdrawn their objection against a jury-trial for the remaining defendants. A trial is scheduled to start on 13th February 2012.

UPDATE: The defendants who had their charges dropped will have them formally withdrawn in a hearing at the Auckland High Court this Monday, 12th September. A solidarity picket will start at 8.30am outside the court.

More: National Distribution Union | GPJA | Maori Party | Capitalism Bad | Socialist Aotearoa | No Right Turn | Crown (aka evil empire)

Letter of Position from Parihaka, Hongongoi 2011

To the United Nations, the New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development and the Crown Minerals Department, the Department of Labour, the Energy Minister, the Taranaki Regional Council, and all Companies wishing to operate or buy into Petroleum works in our environment.

Nga mihi,

The 27th G8 summit took place in Genoa, Italy, in the hot summer of 2001. While the 'world leaders' met on a luxury cruise ship in the port guarded by thousands of police, huge protests took place across the city (and the world) and attempts were made to storm the 'red zone'.

On July 20, a 23-year-old activist Carlo Giuliani of Genoa, was shot dead by Mario Placanica, a Carabinieri officer, during clashes with police. Later that night, police raided the Diaz School where sixty people were hospitalised and these and 30-odd others taken into custody.

One of the people arrested was Wellington anarchist Sam Buchanan. Below is an interview with Sam, looking back at the events of 2001.

Links: Gipfelsoli | wikipedia | Carlo Giuliani | Genova 2011 | People's Global Action

The dangers of primarily organising protests through the social network that is facebook have been highlighted recently in Wellington. On Saturday the 25th June a protest against the Nats proposed re-introduction of youth rates was to be held at the bucket fountain in Cuba Mall from 12 to 1.30pm. See http://www.indymedia.org.nz/event/79703/wgtn-march-against-youth-rates

About a week before the event, e-mails went out telling people about it, for example on the UnionsWellington email list and the Wellington Workers' Solidarity Network email list.

This was part of a national day of action against youth rates.

But it looks like the organisers had a last minute change of mind - I am not sure exactly when, but a post only went out on Indymedia at 11.30am that they had changed venue, and none by email. I assume an earlier notice went out on facebook telling people of the change? Instead, the organisers held the protest outside the National Party office on Willis St.

Details of SAS involvement in an operation in Kabul were scarcely very clear before another story about NZ troops in Afghanistan appears in the news today.

This time it is an improvised explosive device (IED) attack on the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamiyan. There were no injuries, and it seems that the device missed its intended target.

This attack comes just days after a highly secretive hand-over of the PRT mission by New Zealand (acting under NATO) to local Afghan forces in Bamiyan.