Police Jump to American Embassy Pressure

Global Peace and Justice Activist Bruce Hubbard will appear in the North Shore District Court tomorrow on a charge of “misuse of a telephone” under the Telecommunications Act.

The charge relates to an email sent to the US Embassy which contained political objections to the US invasion of Iraq.

Bruce’s email contained some harsh truths for the American government whose attack on Iraq was immoral and illegal. The most recent analysis of deaths of Iraqi citizens puts the figure killed in the initial invasion at 15,000 with many more having been killed since.

Whatever the offence taken in Washington it simply does not register compared to the death and destruction caused by American warmongering in Iraq.

It appears clear to us that the American embassy has pressured the police – possibly via the Minister of Police or Minister of Foreign Affairs - to put pressure on New Zealand activists who have been so effective in mobilising public opposition in New Zealand against American foreign policy. It seems clear that whatever objections the US embassy had to the email that no action would have been taken but for the fact the US embassy was involved. In this respect the police role in this incident is political.

We have no doubt the police intended to use this charge as a pretext to seize Bruce’s computer under the new so-called “Anti-Terrorism” laws with associated records of activist contacts. However they appear to have been “flushed out” and required to deny that was their intention.

GPJA remains very concerned at the new anti-terrorism laws and their ability to undermine legitimate protest. There are a host of laws which have been passed for one reason but used against protest activity.

For example –

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