Protesters threaten demo over terrorism arrests
Alt Tv/Fleet FM Breakfast News Comment
Protesters threaten demo over terrorism arrests
Supporters of those arrested in the armed police raids are threatening to protest outside the High Court at Auckland. Last night John Minto of Global Peace and Justice Auckland held a meeting for activist groups and family and friends of those arrested. He has also organised a defence committee to support families, raise funds for legal expenses and organise public support. Seeing as I am now persona non grata amongst some in the Activist community (some dumb little arnachist had a go at me on the street yesterday for crying out loud) for ‘apparently’ supporting Police action (which I didn’t, don’t believe all you read in the bloody Herald), what I said was that when the allegations come out, most NZers will not think the Police actions were a gross over reaction at all, and that what will be revealed today is going to cause shock – again, I don’t think anyone of them are terrorists, I think they were high on their own supply playing soldier boy, and that if you followed me around for 18 months you would catch me saying some stupid stuff, but the level of stupid stuff about to be revealed can’t be simply cancelled out by ‘The Police are fascist bully boy’ bullshit arguments – yes what has happened is a gross over reaction, yes it was scary and probably set race relations back, yes there is social injustice that must be fought, yes Tuhoe has more righteous grievance than most – BUT none of that defends, nor justifies taking up arms. The argument that we don’t see Police swoops on the National Front who are also gun nuts is a stupid argument, the National Front are a pack of racist nutters who are rightfully sneered at and marginalized by any thinking human being, is that what we want left wing activisim to sink to? You pick up a gun and you lose my support, it’s a matter of principle. Symbolically damage things, absolutely, take up arms against my fellow countrymen, never, that ain’t my bag baby. Yes I’m angry our friends have been arrested, yes I’m angry at the way they have been treated, yes they are not terrorists, but anyone attempting to justify social justice through violence is the most backwards step I’ve ever seen, the activist community have got to demand our civil rights while renouncing any use of guns to force social change. In a functioning democracy, we fight with words and ideas, not grenade launchers.
posted by Bomber @ 8:25 am
12 comments
12 Comments:
File under " things I NEVER thought i'd hear " : Ross Meurant on National Radio this morning comparing these raids to George Bush tactics and saying that he was "brainwashed " about this sort of thing when he was in the Police.
Bomber, almost all of what you say I think is dangerously wrong.
But you do appear to think, (erroneously, usually, about what you are saying and, in this case, hold genuine views that you are prepared to stand by in the face of criticism from your degenerate, civilisation destroying, parasitic friends.
Stick to your guns.
Kia Kaha is the popular expression, but I think the Westie salute of "Go Hard bro", is better on this occasion.
...
Actions of arrogant idiots
FROM THE LEFT - CHRIS TROTTER - The Dominion
Idiots. Arrogant, egotistical, idiots. That was the first thought that ran through my head, as news of "Operation O-Desk" broke on Monday.
It wasn't the actions of the police that provoked my fury, but of those who'd forced their hand.
Since 1840, the progressive political tradition in this country has been almost entirely peaceful. With the important exception of the Sovereignty Wars of the 19th century, the sole initiator of organised violence against the New Zealand people has been the New Zealand State itself.
This long-standing rejection of "armed struggle" has conferred upon the New Zealand Left an enviable moral authority.
From the disgraceful occupation and destruction of Parihaka in November 1881, to the repeated batoning of peaceful protesters by police riot squads throughout the winter of 1981, informed public opinion has remained solidly supportive of progressive causes inspired and reassured by the Left's steadfast refusal to either initiate violence, or respond to the violence initiated against it.
Almost all of the significant social, economic and political changes in New Zealand history have been achieved by the democratic mobilisation of mass opinion. Ours is one of the oldest democracies, and our people's consistent rejection of violence as a legitimate political weapon has always, for me, been a source of enormous pride.
That's why I am so angry with the people upon whom the police have swooped. Whatever they were doing in the Ureweras, it was enough to persuade Police Commissioner Howard Broad that pre-emptive action was necessary.
I have known Howard Broad since he and his colleagues in the Dunedin police chased me and my future wife around that city's streets during the Springbok Tour. He is an honourable and decent police officer and no redneck. Indeed, on matters relating to the Treaty of Waitangi he is probably further to the left than I am. Which is why, if Howard Broad says he was obliged to act to preserve public safety, I for one am disposed to believe him.
And therein lies the tragedy of this week's events. Few people on the face of this blood-soaked planet are privileged to live in a nation so free of organised violence as New Zealand.
Ours is a nation so small and politically intimate that its leaders can walk freely among their fellow citizens without fear of physical attack or assassination. We enjoy a political environment in which citizens' rights are so zealously guarded that full democratic participation in national affairs is straightforward, simple and effective.
Which is why all those who declare that the resort to armed force has become inevitable are first obliged to demonstrate that all other peaceful and democratic options have been foreclosed.
The African National Congress' endorsement of armed struggle following the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre was entirely justifiable. And it was difficult to condemn the IRA's resort to armed struggle following the Parachute Regiment's murder of 14 peacefully protesting civil- rights marchers in Londonderry on January 30, 1972, Bloody Sunday.
But show me a Bloody Sunday in New Zealand. Show me a Sharpeville. Show me the bodies of unarmed protesters lying in the streets of our little land.
To turn to weapons before weapons have been turned against you is not only murderous folly, but supreme arrogance. Why? Because it signals your conviction that, somehow, your "side" has acquired a direct line to "The Truth".
And that allows you to walk away from rational debate, and set aside your neighbour's fundamental human rights. You no longer need the tremendous moral force of non-violent direct action as practised by Te Whiti O Rongomai at Parihaka a full 25 years before Gandhi deployed it in the Transvaal.
But to arrogate to oneself the power of determining who shall live and who shall die is to surrender to the very forces of lawlessness and injustice true progressives, through history, have fought with all their strength.
And so I say again: "Idiots". For causing my fellow citizens to turn with frightened and mistrustful eyes against the tens of thousands of decent, progressive Kiwis who have devoted their entire lives to making this country a beacon of freedom, equality, and social justice.
Without resorting to violence.
Just cry racism, do a haka, and moan about police brutality. That seems to be the PC response to anything these days.
Good post Bomber.
still no charges... come on I thought they have been watching them for over a year....
Bomber I think another episode of Stakeout
When was the last time a protester brought a gun to a protest in NZ?
The simultaneous aspect of the arrests has struck fear into the activist community. The simultaneous aspect has tarred many unrelated groups with the same brush. Activists play an important role in spreading awareness of and stifling the unethical activities made by those in positions of power. The police and probably those above them are trying to silence dissenting voices.
Rights that would be expected in, and are important to a, democracy have been abused by the police. The arrestees have been denied bail and locked up for at least 5 days, despite the police commissioner admitting on television that he didn’t think any of those arrested posed a threat. One of those arrested is a 19 year old university student. He has been locked up in Mt Eden prison (not the remand area).
More houses have been raided. An organic vegetable shop owner had his house raided for 4 hours based purely on his son in law having gone on holiday once with Tame Iti. The armed defenders stormed the property and confiscated several computers including the computer of a tourist who was staying there. The property was stormed while the guy’s wife and baby were there.
Activists have been harassed by cops on numerous occasions in recent months. Outside the US-NZ partnership forum, there were around 70 protesters. As the protesters were leaving, the cops started shouting “Move! Move! Move!” and advanced towards the crowd. Protesters were being crushed against the road works barriers with several falling over. The protesters near the thick blue line told them that people were being crushed. A cop responded “ok”, and the cops kept advancing. The cops picked off a few prominent activists. They were arrested with one of them being locked up for 6 hours. Their charges are still pending. Since they have charges still pending, they can’t visit the 19 year old activist in prison.
Another time, cops came to a flat where an anarchism conference was being held. The cops pepper sprayed an activist (plus some bystanders), arrested the activist without a warrant and then pepper sprayed him some more.
A sadistic thick arsehole culture is relatively common in the NZ police, especially the Team Policing Unit. It seems like many of the cops, activists deal with think along the following lines: ‘I hate “hippies” because they are different’
and ‘harassing “hippies” is fun’. Sport thug types can come out of school with crap grades and can enter the police force – retaining the opportunity for domination over others.
The cops fuck up often. When the cops fuck up their charges, the courts are there to sort it out. Most activists who have been wrongfully arrested are found not guilty by the courts or have their charges dropped by the police. Even if that happens, it is still a huge inconvenience being arrested, locked up for several hours (or days, months, even years) then deal with the legal system over several months (or years).
Even if an arrestee is found not guilty or has their charges dropped, making a formal complaint is unlikely to make a difference. This is because the so called ‘Independent Police Complaints Authority’ is not an independent entity to the police force. The police essentially handle their own complaints. Thousands of complaints are made each year yet only a few ever get followed up. Heads don’t roll as easily as they do in other professions.
The police are rarely held accountable for their actions and have been known to abuse their power when dealing with activists. I don’t like how several news papers have treated everything said by the police as factual.
I believe that there is a lot of collateral damage to this event that could have been avoided. The cops’ actions this past week have been fucking appalling.
Here is a well considered statement from Bryan Innes whose family home in Taupo was 'raided' last week.
"It seems like many of the cops, activists deal with think along the following lines: ‘I hate “hippies” because they are different’
and ‘harassing “hippies” is fun’. Sport thug types can come out of school with crap grades and can enter the police force – retaining the opportunity for domination over others."
There seems to be an unusual symetry with the attitude of 'activists' to the police. Indymedia types seem to think that they are all power crazy gangrapists who like nothing more than to terrorize anybody who looks different. Why don't you examine your own preconceptions about the police before writing such utter garbage.
The truth is that as much as you don't want to believe the police are one of the most respected professions in NZ.
PS most people would rather that suspects be 'incovinienced' through detention rather than let a potential offender go free because they happended to be leftwing.
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