"Wake Up Auckland" makes complaint to the Police Complaints Authority about Auckland City Council Meeting of 13 March.

The Wake Up Auckland Campaign has registered a complaint about the actions of police and security officers and Auckland City Council representatives towards the public who attended the Auckland City Council meeting of 13 March, 2002.

We have asked for an enquiry be conducted into the events of that night, with a view to determining whether there were "serious breaches of civil liberties, human rights and established or reasonable protocols on the part of the police, private security officers and Auckland City Council representatives"

The letter to the Authority emphasises that the motivation of most attending was to express their opposition to council plans to sell off general rental properties. We said " Contrary to some media reports, a large proportion of those present were there to bear silent witness and did not interject or take any action that could be construed as disruptive Others who attended the meeting commented that they felt that they had no other choice but to express their views audibly when denied the right to make their point silently by way of a placard."

The letter sets out a list of ten major concerns and highlights the deep concerns about the apparently arbitrary actions of the Mayor, the violent actions of both security guards and police and the major restrictions imposed on freedom of expression.

The letter is backed by statements from several participants and also points out that video footage of police and security guard actions is also available. Copies of the letter have been sent to the Minsiters of Police and Local Government and to the Human Rights Commission.

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