Media Release: Drop the Charges! Global Day of Action
From: October 15th Solidarity Auckland
Date: Friday 29th August
August 30th will see a Global Day of Action in support of Tino
Rangatiratanga and Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe and those arrested in the
State Terror Raids on 15 October 2007. Demonstrations and protests are
being planned around the world. In Wellington, there will be a rally
and march starting at 12 noon at 128 Abel Smith Street. In Auckland,
there is a protest starting at 12 noon in Aotea Square. There are also
demonstrations and actions being planned around the globe including
Australia, the US, Mexico and Germany.
The day of action immediately precedes the start of the deposition
hearing in Auckland on 1 September. The charges against the 20 people
are racially and politically motivated charges aimed at people who
were seen by police as supporting Tino Rangatiratanga and Te Mana
Motuhake o Tuhoe. The charges are what are left following the failure
of the police to bring terrorism charges. In effect, they are trying
to salvage some credibility for their actions in raiding over 60 homes
and terrorizing the entire community of Ruatoki.
October 15th Solidarity Auckland spokeswoman Vanessa Cameron Lewis
asserts that "Tino Rangatiratanga is good for all New Zealanders and
it is not ok to be imprisoning activists who are standing up for
indigenous sovereign rights that, importantly, are ratified by the
United Nations.
Ms Lewis continues "It is of grave concern that our counter-terrorism
laws contradict some of our human rights legislation and the process
in the courts at present exemplifies this."
ENDS