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Rally In Opposition To Threat Of Terror Charges
GLOBALPEACE&JUSTICE AUCKLAND
Private Bag 68905,
Newton,Auckland. www.gpja.org.nz
19 October
2007
Media Release:
Rally In Opposition To Threat Of
Terror Charges
Supporters of those
arrested in para-military police raids this week will gather
at 12noon tomorrow (Saturday) in Aotea Square to demand the
police abandon the threat of anti-terror charges. Speakers
from a range of groups will address the gathering and we
will be calling for -
- No terror charges
- Immediate bail for all arrestees (innocent until proven guilty)
- Government to withdraw the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill
- Defence of our civil rights
SIS involvement
There was no
surprise to learn today that the SIS was involved in the
gathering of "intelligence" against those arrested this
week. It seems clear the quality of the information matches
that which the SIS produced against Ahmed Zaoui. This is an
organisation living in its own dream.
The SIS has struggled to justify its existence for many years. It failed to prevent New Zealand's only terrorist attack (the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior by French government agents) and has botched every attempt since, the latest being the Zaoui case. It has now colluded with the police in this week's Urewera farce.
Name Suppression
We understand
the personal situations which have led to name suppression
being sought by most defendants. They have been put in an
impossible situation by the police's dramatic over-reaction
this week. Unfortunately this prevents the public seeing and
understanding that those arrested are a group of decent New
Zealanders and not the terrorists the SIS would have us
believe.
Opposition grows to Anti-terror
legislation
We are delighted that despite the
para-military police operation this week public opposition
to the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill which was due in
parliament this week, has been growing. The Council of Trade
Unions this week called for it to be abandoned along with a
raft of human rights and peace groups. The Auckland Council
for Civil Liberties has organised a seminar on Thursday next
week to examine the bill and the grave threat it poses to
our civil liberties (See yesterday's GPJA media release)
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