Far Left Rallies to Support Arrestees

The anarchists and radical left are rallying to support the arrestees.

From Indymedia

Auckland - There will be a meeting today (Monday) at 5:30pm at the Unite offices on Queen St to plan a response.

Christchurch - There will be a meeting today (Monday) at 6:30pm at the Otautahi Social Centre (206 Barbadoes St) to discuss what has happened and plan for solidarity with the arrestees.

There has been a rally in support called for tomorrow (Tuesday) in Cathedral Square at 5pm.

Melbourne - There will be a demonstration in support of the arrestees tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Consulate-General of New Zealand, Suite 2, North Level 3 350 Collins Street at 11am.

Christchurch Socialist Worker activist David Colyer adds this comment;

These aggressive raids are an attempt to criminalize dissent and smear critics of government and corporate policies with the “terrorist” label. This is both appalling and ridiculous.

Every great movement for peace, workers’ rights, social justice or environmental sustainability in our history has organized civil disobedience or other “illegal” protest to make its point, from Parihaka to the 1951 Lockout, from the anti-nuclear campaign, to the GE Free movement. Every one of these movements organized actions which could be branded a “terrorist” under the current legislation.

The left must unite to defend the democratic right to protest and dissent.

We must throw the “terrorist” label back in the faces of the politicians who voted for these US-inspired laws, whilst supporting Bush’s terrorist war in Afghanistan, while trading with the terrorist dictatorship in Burma.