Peace Activists Joseph Bray and Jackson Duguid have been released after being arrested from their houses last night for breaching a prior non-association order related to the occupation of NIOA munitions headquarters. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/543547/activists-scale-christchurch-building-in-protest-of-weapons-company-establishing-in-nz

“We were arrested for setting up chairs together at a Peace Action panel talk on police abolition last week. The fact that the cops are watching the every move of peace activists is frightening" said Jackson Duguid.

https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360630080/what-exactly-wellington-central-mp-tamatha-paul-said-about-police

Joseph and Jackson occupied the roof of NIOA weapons factory on the 3rd of March, in protest of its links to the IDF. They were charged with burglary and given draconian extensive bail conditions, including not to interact with other peace activists.

https://www.instagram.com/peace.action.otautahi/

On the 19th of March, PAŌ held a talk on police abolition at the University of Canterbury. The police monitored the university CCTV without cause, and in doing so, spotted that Joseph and Jackson were in the same room.

On the 1st of April, Jackson and Joseph were arrested from their homes for breach of non-association.

“Peace Action is facing harsh intimidation from the Police for hosting a public talk critical of their systemic racism and violence." said Joseph Bray. "They likely chose to arrest us after the courts had closed so that we would have to spend the night in custody, which is a tactic of fear. It’s a worrying overreach that Police obtained CCTV from University of Canterbury with no other cause but surveillance of students engaged in legitimate political organising.”

“The police targeting of activists here is following on directly from their counterparts in the US and UK who are arresting and silencing activists who dare to speak about inconvenient topics like Palestine and climate change", commented Valerie Morse, Peace Action Wellington spokesperson.

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