Just a quick line to let you know there was a very militant occupation of the Australian Consulate in Auckland this evening against the invasion of Aboriginal lands and in solidarity with our black brothers and sisters facing John Howard's racist attacks. All very exhausted after being on a picket of the Auckland Central police station until our comrade Tane was freed, so please contact me tomorrow for a more comprehensive report if you want one. Please find underneath an eye witness report from www.indymedia.org.nz
Kia kaha
Joe Carolan
Socialist Worker, Aotearoa
Very militant protest in Auckland tonight- hardcore chants!
"Genocide- it ain't no mystery- White Australia has a Black History!"
"Black and White
Unite and Fight
for Aboriginal
Land Rights!"
"Get the troops out now,
get the troops out now,
Get the TROOPS, OUT, NOW!
Very good speeches from all the groups in support- Julia and Joe from Socialist Worker, Martin Hirst, Lecturer in Media studies at AUT, Jared from Workers Party, Jim Gladwin from Citizens against Privatisation, and statement read out from Kulin Nations and Aboriginal declaration of sovereignty' by UNITY editor Daph Lawless in Consulate occupation that broke through police lines.
Awesome Aboriginal flags and banners, organisers have pledged more direct action in weeks to come.
Comrade Tane Feary arrested- big posse went up and did a police station picket that saw him released after an hour and a half. Tane, a victim of police brutality, charged with assualting a cop. Heaps of people have filled out police complaint forms and this case will be fought- heaps of witnesses saw him strangled as protest broke through.
No white media covered the event. Maori TV was there and will be showing it tonight at 11pm. Niu FM, Auckland's Pasifika radio station, also covered the protest live. Video and pictures to follow from protesters soon. Check out www.unityaotearoa.blogspot.com or www.indymedia.org.nz
Hope this inspires comrades in Australia to take direct action. Also Australian embassies throughout the world should get the same treatment.
Aboriginal Australia has been invaded.
Aotearoa has stepped up to the Front Line.
KIWI UNIONS AND ACTIVIST GROUPS PROTEST AGAINST HOWARD'S RADICAL ABORIGINAL PLANS
Date: 2 July 2007
Auckland 6am: There's growing support for Aboriginal communities after moves by the Australian Government to clamp down on what it says is a major problem of the abuse of children..
Trade unions and anti-racist groups will protest outside the Australian Consulate in Auckland today....
Australian prime minister John Howard has announced a series of radical steps in response to what he says is a damning report on child abuse in indigenous territories.
Howard's introducing a ban on sales of alcohol and pornography, enforced by the military if need be, and welfare payments conditional on children attending school.
Part of the plan is to take control of Aboriginal land to improve property and public housing, paying compensation where necessary.
But Solidarity Union Secretary, Joe Carolan, says it's heavy handed and racist.Mp3
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And Green Party MP, Metiria Turei, says it shouldn't stop there. Mp3
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Medical camps have been set-up where it's believed volunteer doctors will examine about 23,000 aboriginal children under the age of 16.
But Aboriginal health experts have told media that the medical checks are "highly inappropriate" and culturally insensitive.
