Sluka Still Supporting Tame Iti's "Freedom Fighters"
Massey University's Jeff Sluka researched the Irish Repubican Army, on the ground, in the slums of Belfast.
Now he's supporting our own "freedom fighters"-those arrested by New Zealand's "terrorist" police force in the October 15th 2007 anti-terrorism raids.
From Indymedia
Political Anthropologist, Associate Professor Jeff Sluka, is coming to Wellington.
On Tuesday 2nd December Jeff Sluka will be the key speaker at public meeting discussing State terrorism during the 2007 ‘anti-terrorism’ raids in Rūātoki. This is the fifth in a series of meetings hosted by the October 15th Solidarity Group group.
“Jeff,” says Anna Thorby from the October 15th Solidarity Group, “was a guest speaker at the recent commemoration of the police ‘anti-terrorism’ raids at Rūātoki.” During his talk there he described the raids as ‘politically misguided, morally wrong and fundamentally counterproductive.’
Jeff Sluka is an anthropologist whose particular interest is armed national liberation movements – that is, ‘freedom fighters’ – and he’s one of the few social scientists who has actually done first-hand research with people defined as ‘terrorists’ in their natural settings.
“Jeff challenges people to think about the labels of terrorism and terrorist,” said Anna.
“After living in both west and north Belfast, Jeff has first-hand knowledge of terrorism and the terrorising of communities. At Rūātoki Jeff said that ‘aggressive police operations, like those employed during the raids in the Ureweras, conducted by paramilitary police backed by ‘special’ anti-terrorism legislation and powers, are characteristic of state terrorism and military occupation.’ Something he was used to in Northern Ireland.”
“Jeff told the gathering,” said Anna, “that as a result of the police raids of October 15, the resultant awareness and need for security consciousness made him feel ‘a bit like ‘coming home’ to the culture of terror and resistance’ – a life he experienced whilst living in Northern Ireland.”
“He makes people think about policing and counterinsurgency tactics used by the State. He highlights the inherent dangers of paramilitary policing.”
As a result of the raids last year there are now 18 people facing charges. Attempts by the police to lay charges under the TSA failed but people are still facing politically motivated charges under the Arms Act. And a new charge of participating in an organised criminal group has been laid against five of the 18.
New Zeal Interesting to see Anna Thorby popping back up. She's a "freedom fighter" too.
In the 1980's Anna Maree Thorby was involved with Sue Bradford's Auckland Unemployed Workers Rights Centre-a Workers Communist League/anarchist run outfit.
In May 1986 Thorby and her accomplice Debbie Leyland were convicted of common assault and disorderly behaviour and jailed for 6 months for throwing eggs at the Queen, during HRH's visit to Auckland.
In 1990 Thorby was arrested for trespassing in the Auckland Treasury building with several other protestors including Sue Bradford.
Now he's supporting our own "freedom fighters"-those arrested by New Zealand's "terrorist" police force in the October 15th 2007 anti-terrorism raids.
From Indymedia
Political Anthropologist, Associate Professor Jeff Sluka, is coming to Wellington.
On Tuesday 2nd December Jeff Sluka will be the key speaker at public meeting discussing State terrorism during the 2007 ‘anti-terrorism’ raids in Rūātoki. This is the fifth in a series of meetings hosted by the October 15th Solidarity Group group.
“Jeff,” says Anna Thorby from the October 15th Solidarity Group, “was a guest speaker at the recent commemoration of the police ‘anti-terrorism’ raids at Rūātoki.” During his talk there he described the raids as ‘politically misguided, morally wrong and fundamentally counterproductive.’
Jeff Sluka is an anthropologist whose particular interest is armed national liberation movements – that is, ‘freedom fighters’ – and he’s one of the few social scientists who has actually done first-hand research with people defined as ‘terrorists’ in their natural settings.
“Jeff challenges people to think about the labels of terrorism and terrorist,” said Anna.
“After living in both west and north Belfast, Jeff has first-hand knowledge of terrorism and the terrorising of communities. At Rūātoki Jeff said that ‘aggressive police operations, like those employed during the raids in the Ureweras, conducted by paramilitary police backed by ‘special’ anti-terrorism legislation and powers, are characteristic of state terrorism and military occupation.’ Something he was used to in Northern Ireland.”
“Jeff told the gathering,” said Anna, “that as a result of the police raids of October 15, the resultant awareness and need for security consciousness made him feel ‘a bit like ‘coming home’ to the culture of terror and resistance’ – a life he experienced whilst living in Northern Ireland.”
“He makes people think about policing and counterinsurgency tactics used by the State. He highlights the inherent dangers of paramilitary policing.”
As a result of the raids last year there are now 18 people facing charges. Attempts by the police to lay charges under the TSA failed but people are still facing politically motivated charges under the Arms Act. And a new charge of participating in an organised criminal group has been laid against five of the 18.
New Zeal Interesting to see Anna Thorby popping back up. She's a "freedom fighter" too.
In the 1980's Anna Maree Thorby was involved with Sue Bradford's Auckland Unemployed Workers Rights Centre-a Workers Communist League/anarchist run outfit.
In May 1986 Thorby and her accomplice Debbie Leyland were convicted of common assault and disorderly behaviour and jailed for 6 months for throwing eggs at the Queen, during HRH's visit to Auckland.
In 1990 Thorby was arrested for trespassing in the Auckland Treasury building with several other protestors including Sue Bradford.
posted by Trevor Loudon at
11/26/2008 08:43:00 PM
6 Comments:
What is New Zealand doing financing courses in "political anthropology" when the country is heading for a financial bust?
Massey was once one of the great agricultural universities of the world, and that's a far more useful and prestigious field to be in than "political anthropology".
Go home Sluka.
Hmm it seems the above commentator has a Stalinist mentality.
"Don't study silly things like politics, study things that can make the USSR great!"
I have met Sluka a couple of times and found him engaging and likable. But the dice have been cast. I believe Massey now offer a course in Witchcraft. No books required, bring your own buckets of offal.
Dirk.
"What is New Zealand doing financing courses in "political anthropology" when the country is heading for a financial bust?
Massey was once one of the great agricultural universities of the world, and that's a far more useful and prestigious field to be in than "political anthropology".
Go home Sluka."
The ignorance displayed in your comment is prove in itself as to the importance of a field like political anthropology. I would severely question your assertion that agriculture is more useful than political anthropology. Unless of course you live in some fantasy world where there is no such thing as diversity? :|
"Anti-American too. Yankee go home!"
I can only assume that you draw your oversimplified conclusion from Dr Sluka's stance on human rights. Which is something I find most disheartening.
I'm one of his students. He should not go home. He should be listened to. Open your ears and open your mind. It doesn't have to be so black and white.
Any yeesh! The witchcraft!? Really....idiot - you're not learning about how to be a witch, you're learning about witchcraft in the same way you learn about hinduism and christianity! Really, people these days...
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