Students Corner Key
A large crowd of students have surrounded John Key’s lecture at the University of Auckland Business School to protest
his presence on campus.
Spokesperson Mikaela Hunt said the students assembled to show their dissent against the policies of the National
Government. “Our Prime Minister has declared war without any democratic consultation in a bid to support the United
States’ imperial project in the Middle East.”
Hunt continued, “Additionally, this morning’s Snowden leaks have confirmed John Key’s eagerness to privilege US military
interests over the autonomy of our closest Pacific neighbours.”
“The fact that Key is speaking about supply chain management is ironic given the supply of troops he has committed to
further destabilize the Middle East. The product of this war supply chain is profit for the global arms industry and,
ultimately, access to cheap oil. The cost has so far been the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.”
“If the Prime Minister is concerned about the rise of extremist groups like ISIS, he should denounce the United States
as war criminals, responsible for the deaths of 135,716 – 153,318 people in Iraq. The US invasion and unrelenting war on
the Middle East provided fertile ground for the rise of ISIS.”
Hunt said, “The number of students who spontaneously joined the protest was a clear indication of the widespread
dissatisfaction with the National Government. Key’s unilateral decision to place New Zealand in the middle of an
imperialist war is the last straw for many students. These actions deserve no platform at a university campus, enshrined
in law as critic and conscience of society.”
ENDS