GPJA #50: Free Speech Protest Sat, Forum Monday.

GLOBAL PEACE AND JUSTICE AUCKLAND NEWSLETTER #50, December 4, 2003

Website http://www.gpja.pl.net/ Contact details: Forums - John Minto, (09) 846 3173, jbminto@xtra.co.nz; Newsletter Editor - Mike Treen 0212547440 / 3616989 miket@pl.net Web page - Geraldine Peters (09) 3765994 bern@ihug.co.nz Donations can be sent to GPJA, Private Bag 68905, Newton, Auckland. All communication regarding the GPJA mailing list (email or snail) should be addressed to gpja@xtra.co.nz

Dear friends,

GPJA's forum this Monday is on "Who runs Auckland - the people or big Business". The GPJA organizing committee is on Monday, December 15. (See "What's On in Auckland")

PROTEST ARREST OF BRUCE HUBBARD THIS SATURDAY, 12 NOON CNR QUEEN & CUSTOMS STS

Arrested for free speech. BRUCE HUBBARD emailed the local US Embassy to protest Bush's invasion of Iraq. He was arrested and charged with causing Offence. We think this is a serious threat to free speech in NZ. Under Bruce's bail conditions, he must stay 250m away from the US Consulate. Help to create a "Bruce Hubbard Free Zone" around the Consulate. Then put on a Bruce Hubbard face mask (they will be handed out on the day) and approach the Consulate - let's all be Bruce for the occasion! Join Bruce and the Friends of Free Speech for some serious fun. Let's make a farce of this farcical - but dangerous - attack on free speech. Poster available http://www.gpja.pl.net/sub/Education/Bruce%20Poster.pdf Bruce has a court appearance on Wednesday December 10 at the North Shore District Court. Be there to support free speech.

POLICE HARRASSMENT ON THE RISE - PROTESTOR'S HOUSE RAIDED

An Auckland Animal Action member is charged with being unlawfully in a building, burglary and wilful damage after he handed over a letter to a Tegel secretary explaining why a protest was about to occur in their building. The activist had no other role in the protest. On October 2nd several activists entered the Tegel Head Office in Newmarket and spread straw over the ground and reception desk to bring attention to the fact that Tegel chickens are not given straw, which they need to carry out the basic, instinctive function of nest building. Following the protest, undercover detectives presumably followed Jesse Duffield back to his car and recorded the license plate number. They later towed the car back to the police station without telling him, so Jesse thought it had been stolen. The next day Jesse Duffield answered the door to three detectives, who came armed with a search warrant for hay, straw, black rubbish bags (which the straw came in) or anything relating to Animal Rights. While they did not find any hay, straw or black rubbish bags, they still took his laptop computer, cellphone, sim card remains, photographs, videos, over 100 floppy disks, posters off the wall, a GE T shirt and many other items. They even kept 3 drink bottles from his car! None of this has been returned. Jesse is being charged with burglary even though he did not break in or steal anything. He is also being charged with unlawfully in a building (even though all he did was hand over a letter) and wilful damage (allegedly caused by the dry straw) even though he did not distribute any. Auckland Animal Action consider this to be a case of intentional police harassment of an innocent protestor. It must be asked why it is that police are unable to solve murders but are prepared to spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars of tax payers money following up a peaceful protest in which straw was spread around. Jesse's status hearing is on December 11, and supporters will be meeting at 11AM outside the Auckland District Court, Albert St, City. GPJA will be there to protest this harassment and give Jesse our support.

WHAT'S ON IN AUCKLAND

Saturday, December 6, 8:00am, 308 Great North Rd. GREEN FUNDRASISER GARAGE SALE. We need Your Stuff for Our GREEN GARAGE SALE Set aside your old books, clothes and bric-a-brac for us! Bring your donation items to the office. Queries: contact Kim 376-4143.

Saturday, December 6, 2 - 3pm, Aotea Square, Queen St, City. Palestine/Israel Rally for Peace, supporting peace and justice based on Removal of Israeli Occupation, Right of Return for Refugees, Sharing Jerusalem and Cessation of Jewish only Settlements in occupied Palestine, For more info contact David Wakim tel (09) 520 0201.

Saturday, December 6, 8pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn Radical Relaxation! End of year Social - Celebrating an amazing year in activism. Hosted by Socialist Worker. An evening of relaxation and music, celebrating the struggle for a better world. On the acoustic guitars... • Phill Toms (ex Herbs bassist, recently released “Storm Warning” album) • Roger Fowler (ex Red Flag Bush Band) • Kane Forbes (Auckland activist) • And featuring films by Cell (radical art collective). + Open mic’ opportunity so bring your guitar, poems, spoken word or George Dubya Bush impersonation routine! BYO (Home made Fejoa wine available). All welcome. For information contact Kane on 634 3984 or email kane_forbes@paradise.net.nz

Sunday, December 7, 3pm, 48 Lloyd Ave, Mt Albert Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Auckland branch, end of year garden gathering, with stories of women's peace actions, afternoon tea and trading table. For more info contact Joan tel (09) 360 8001 or email joanmac@pl.net

Sunday, December 7, 4pm, Mt Albert War Memorial Hall, 751-761 New North Road, Mt Albert 'Peace in Sri Lanka' symposium, facilitated by Dr N Rasalingam - with Keith Locke, reporting on his recent fact-finding mission to Sri Lanka to monitor the progress of the peace process. Keith met with government representatives, NGOs and people from many other sectors, and visited Jaffna and Vanni and discussed the situation with Tamil leaders. Plus Robert Newson (Human Rights Commission); Colin Henry (Barrister and Solicitor, NZ, and Attorney at Law, New York) analysing the recent proposal by LTTE to establish an Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) for the north and east of the island of Sri Lanka; and Bernie Ogilvy MP (United Future Party), Mike Treen (Alliance Party), and Tim Barnett MP (Labour Party) on increasing NZ's role in the peace process; Tamil traditional finger foods and more. Starts. Organised by COTANZ (Consortium of Tamil Associations in New Zealand), for more info contact George Arulanantham tel (09) 620 6200 or email george_nzts@hotmail.com

Sunday, December 7, 7pm til late, The Classic Comedy Bar, 321 Queen St. CBD Antidote #5. Auckland Indymedia Doco Screening and Anti-Xmas Party. A FUNdraising evening of alternative political documentaries possibly including clips from: Adbuster anti-ads , Guerrilla News Network, Yes Men, GE docos, locally made "Dear Baghdad" Iraq documentary, Auckland Indymedia retrospective, subversive cartoons and more (tba) - followed by an after party !!! Cost: only $3/$5 - all welcome. This is the fifth and final screening presented By Auckland Indy media for 2003. The Antidote aims to be a regular forum for the exposure of alternative political filmmaking and media art. For more information, contact auckland@indymedia.org.nz. Auckland Indymedia is part of a nationwide network that runs the independent news website, www.indymedia.org.nz

Monday, December 8, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn GPJA FORUM: "Who runs Auckland? - for the people or for big business?". Speakers: Rates action - Grant Morgan from RAM; Water Pressure Group - Penny Bright (public private partnerships in water); Campaign for better transport - Cam Pitches; Governance and democracy in Auckland City - Graeme East.

Wednesday, December 10, 8.45am, North Shore Magistrates Court, Cnr of Corinthian Drive and Don McKinnon Rd Albany. Please support GPJA supporter Bruce Hubbard. He has been charged with 'Misuse of telephone' Telecommunications Act 1991 because of an email sent to the US Embassy protesting the US war on Iraq.

Wednesday, December 10, 11.30am – 2.30pm, Aotea Square, Queen St, City UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY 2003. Celebration, with a wide range of speakers from cultural and human rights groups, stalls and information, food stalls, speakers, music, dance and ethnic performances, banner making, and more! For more info contact Laurie Ross tel (09) 811 8696 or email laurie-ross@xtra.co.nz Sponsored by Pax Christi as part of the Human Rights Network Trust and the Human Rights Commission.

Wednesday, December 10, 7.30pm, St Columba Centre, 40 Vermont St, Ponsonby PUBLIC LECTURE: REASONS FOR THE IRAQ WAR. A talk by Larry Ross, secretary NZ Nuclear-free Peacemaking, PLUS: Barry Coates - Executive Director of OXFAM New Zealand. Followed by Open Public Discussion on: 'How the nuclear and conventional weapons industry plus military war strategies contribute to the violation of human rights.' Enquiries: email: laurie-ross@xtra.co.nz phone: 811 8696

Friday, December 12, 5.30pm till late, 308 Great North Rd., Grey Lynn. GPJA'ers are invited to the Green's End of Year Party to help us thank volunteers in the green social justice and political movements. Book it in your diary! Music, food, drinks, friends. See you there. Kim Mazur for Auckland Green Party MPs, Keith Locke, Nandor Tanczos & Metiria Turei, P.O. Box 1553, Auckland Ph. 09-361-5925 Fax. 09-361-5926 auckland-mps@greens.org.nz www.greens.org.nz

Monday, December 15, 7.30pm, Trades Hall, 147 Great North Rd, Grey Lynn GPJA ORGANISING COMMITTEE. Any helpers welcome.

MESSAGES

Sunday 7 December - is Ahmed Zaoui's birthday. If you would like to send him a card and/or message of support, please post to: Ahmed Zaoui, Auckland Central Remand Prison, PO Box 8180, Symonds St, Auckland (allowing three days for delivery). And if you'd like to use the occasion to let the relevant politicians know your thoughts about his incarceration, contact details are: Helen Clark, Prime Minister and Minister for the NZ Security Intelligence Service, email pm@ministers.govt.nz or fax (04) 473 3579; Lianne Dalziel, Minister of Immigration, email ldalziel@ministers.govt.nz or fax (04) 495 8463; or by post to Parliament Buildings, Wellington (no stamp required). For more information see http://www.freezaoui.org.nz - a great site which brings all the information together in one place, and has links to other web pages about Ahmed Zaoui.

Earlier this year, Sue Bradford's Bill to reintroduce a Universal Child Benefit was drawn from the Parliamentary Members' Bills Ballot. The Greens' immediate goal with this Bill is to convince the Government to allow it to be referred to a Select Committee. Sue Bradford and I have therefore prepared a leaflet on the Bill for public distribution. If you would like to support the Universal Child Benefit campaign by distributing our leaflet and have access to facilities to make photocopies of the leaflet yourself, you can download it as a pdf from http://www.greens.org.nz/campaigns/social/UCBfinal.pdf . (You need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to download this file). If you would like us to send you a number of hard copies of the leaflet, please order them from me at the Auckland Green Party office sueb.auck@xtra.co.nz . For more information about the Universal Child Benefit campaign, check out our website at http://www.greens.org.nz/searchdocs/other6751.html. Ivan Sowry, Green Party Social & Economic Justice Outreach Coordinator, Phone 09-361 6202 Fax 09-361 5926 email: sueb.auck@xtra.co.nz P O Box 1553, Shortland Street Auckland 1 Keep up to date with Green issues. Register at: http://www.greens.org.nz/office/interest_areas_form.htm

'Profiting from bloodshed and war: Part I - the NZ 'defence' industry and the companies involved' is now on-line at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nwup0103.htm This is the first of a three part 2003 NO WARP! Update Series. 'Profiting from bloodshed and war: Part II - the NZ government's involvement in the 'defence' industry', and 'Profiting from bloodshed and war: Part III - what you can do about the 'defence' industry' will be published later this month. You can get a text version of Part I by emailing your request to pma@xtra.co.nz. The series will be available as a printed booklet when all three parts are completed.

FRI, 16 to SUN, 18 January 2004 - Waihopai Spybase Protest Camp! The public face of New Zealand's role as an American ally is the NZ military presence in both Iraq and Afghanistan. But New Zealand's most significant contribution to those wars, and any other American wars, is the Waihopai spybase. Waihopai is controlled by the US, with New Zealand (including Parliament) having little or no idea what goes on there (let alone any control). The Waihopai electronic intelligence gathering base is located in the Waihopai Valley, near Blenheim. "We invite people from around the country to join us for the weekend of anti-war protest at this spybase. Come prepared for roughing it and camping out. We've hired portaloos and a marquee. We provide the food. Bring sleeping bag, groundsheet, a tent, torch, water bottle, eating utensils, clothing for all weather, and $30 (or $15 unwaged) to cover costs. Absolutely no open fires." Close the Waihopai Spybase now! Organised by the Anti-Bases Campaign, for more info check out http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/Protest03.html or email cafca@chch.planet.org.nz

The 2003 Roger Award for the Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in Aotearoa/New Zealand finalists have been selected: Telecom, Carter Holt Harvey, Comalco, ANZ, Newmont Mining (Waihi Gold), Rymans, Juken Nissho and BAT (British American Tobacco). The event to announce the winner(s) will be held in February 2004 in Dunedin. The Roger Awards are organised by Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) and GATT Watchdog; for more information check out http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/publications/Roger/index.html

Reminder - 'No raupatu in our time', wear the badge to show what you think about the government's foreshore and seabed plans; badges are: $2 each (for orders of up to 20) + 50c p&p per order; $1-75 each (for orders of 20 to 50) + $2 p&p per order; or $1-50 each (for orders of 50 or more) + $3 p&p per order. You can get yours by using the print off order form at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/fsbadge.htm or by sending a note with your name, address, and how many badges you want with your cheque (made payable to Peace Movement Aotearoa). to PMA, PO Box 9314, Wellington. More information about the 'No raupatu in our time' campaign is available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/fs281003.htm

On-line petition - to Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Senator Amanda Vanstone, Minister for Immigration, calling for an end to the detention of children and separation of families - "Australia currently holds more than 94 children in Immigration Detention in Australia and 90 in the Pacific. The oldest children in detention are living out their teens behind razor wire and electric fences. The youngest is a baby born a month ago, who was placed in detention in Baxter shortly after his birth. The physical, emotional and psychological damage detention inflicts on children is well documented and not in dispute. Some children in Australian detention centres have been unnecessarily imprisoned for years. In Sweden the maximum time a child is kept in custody is six days." The organisers are asking for international support for this petition - if you are not Australian you can still sign the petition by putting in a comment that you support the petition as (for example) a New Zealander, or whatever your nationality is. Comments should be typed in the box called marked [ :optional ] To sign, go to http://www.PetitionOnline.com/dtention/petition.html

Some new items on the Alliance website that may interest GPJA newsletter readers http://www.alliance.org.nz/main.php3 - Chris Trotter's address on the 1913 General strike: "Unfinished Business: The 1913 General Strike and New Zealand's Radical Tradition" - and Jane Kelsey's Bruce Jesson lecture, Recolonisation or Decolonisation - Where does our future lie? In it she examines the options facing New Zealand after the WTO failure at Cancun. - There is also a new poll on Ahmed Zaoui.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK The Information Clearing House website deserves a special plug as a source of "alternative" news The following articles features this week a http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/ "Eye Witness Report: The Battle’ At Samarra" John Pilger: Bush And Blair Are In Trouble Noam Chomsky Interview

NEW ZEALAND/AOTEAROA

NZ FIRST'S RACIST LEAFLET Return to sender urges Postal Workers Association http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0312/S00024.htm NZ post backs down on circulars http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2744794a10,00.html Alliance demands Hunt pull racist leaflet http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0312/S00025.htm Liars http://publicaddress.net/default,885.sm#post885

AHMAD ZHAOUI Commentary on Ahmad Zhaoui by Radha D’Souza Occidental Mysticism And The Potency Of English Institutions http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2003-11/24d'souza_.cfm Government Acknowledges Zaoui Law Needs Review http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0312/S00055.htm

THE POOR AND VULNERABLE Govt breaches agreement over special needs units http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/ED0312/S00002.htm Poor burdened by debt http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0311/S00178.htm Govt accused of illegal child discrimination http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0311/S00174.htm

CLARK PUTS NZ SOLDIERS AT RISK Kiwi soldiers could be next “Helen Clark said we would not participate in an illegal and immoral war. Now she is exposing New Zealand soldiers to extreme risk of death http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0312/S00005.htm

PACIFIC Open letter on West Papua to PM and Goff http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0312/S00001.htm Atoll still harbors toxic dangers http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Nov/23/ln/ln12a.html

WAR ON DEMOCRACY A monstrous Failure of Justice, by Lord Steyn, Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, one of 12 judges who sits on Britain's highest court. http://www.iht.com/search.php?id=119350&owner=(International%20Herald%20Tr ib une)&date=20031130131344 Inside Guantanamo: How America rewrote the rules of war. Special investigation by James Meek. http://www.guardian.co.uk/guantanamo/story/0,13743,1098604,00.html Naked Gun – FBI murders its enemies http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2003/11/28/120.html Starve the racist prison beast – 2 million rot in USD jails http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=43&ItemID=4471 Naomi Klein: The war is coming home http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article5287.htm

CHOMSKY Read An Extract From Chomsky's New Book (& Subscribe And Win It!) From the world's foremost intellectual activist, an irrefutable analysis of America's pursuit of total world domination and the catastrophic consequences that will follow. See... Noam Chomsky: Hegemony or Survival (Extract) http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0312/S00011.htm

PALESTINE/ISRAEL Facility 1391: Israel's Guantanamo http://mondediplo.com/2003/11/02israel Blame Israel, says Red Cross as it ends food aid for West Bank http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=464142

ARMS RACE US defence policy scary and dangerous http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,3604,1093202,00.html US begins hypersonic weapons programme http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99994408 Bush OK’s new nukes http://nypost.com/news/worldnews/11763.htm Arming Outer Space http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/11/ 3 /EDG11308KV1.DTL Armageddon back on the table http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Art ic le_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1069110104432

ENVIRONMENT Billions May Suffer Severe Water Shortages as Global Warming Melts Glaciers http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1128-04.htm President Bush Declares War on the Whales and Dolphins http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,583254,00.html Bottom of the barrel: The world is running out of oil - so why do politicians refuse to talk about it? http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4809694-110373,00.html

CUBA Latin America in Crisis and Cuban self-reliance http://www.counterpunch.org/valdes11072003.html Cui Bono? The Cuba embargo as rip off http://www.counterpunch.org/landau11012003.html

IRAQ WAR Fraction of Iraq costs could feed world poor - WFP http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/22897/story.htm What has failed in Palestine will fail in Iraq http://electroniciraq.net/news/1219.shtml The guerrilla advantage in Iraq http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-keane18nov18,1,4165 99 5,print.story Update: 7,500 US Casualties Evacuated from Iraq War Zone to US http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/newsArticle.asp?id=1275 George Monbiot: Britain and the US did everything to avoid a peaceful solution in Iraq and Afghanistan http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1082250,00.html Shock-therapy U.S.-led restructuring of Iraqi economy is on shaky ground, top economists say http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/031115/me_fea_fin_iraq_shock_therapy_2.html

ANTIWAR Washington's unpopular war http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0311/S00155.htm Hold on to your humanity: An open letter to GI's in Iraq from Stan Goff (US Army retired) http://www.counterpunch.org/goff11142003.html Ken Livingstone says Bush is “greatest threat to life on this planet” http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=464783

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON 'Bush-nazi dealings continued until 1951' - federal documents http://www.nhgazette.com/cgi-bin/NHGstore.cgi?user_action=detail&catalogno=N N_Bush_Nazi_2

CORPORATE GLOBALISATION Export led development? By Paul Bruce, Latin American Committee http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0311/S00101.htm Bolivia Offers Cautionary Tale for FTAA Negotiators http://www.inthesetimes.com/print.php?id=443_0_1_0 Blood, Oil, Guns And Bullets, By Aziz Choudry http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0311/S00161.htm

EXPERTS IN TERRORISM The Tip of the Iceberg: Toledo Blade Report on Vietnam War "Tiger Force" Atrocity Is Only the Beginning http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=51&ItemID=4481 Backyard terrorism The US has been training terrorists at a camp in Georgia for years - and it's still at it http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,583254,00.html

Mike

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