A Day of Action
Saturday 27th October, 12 Noon, Garden Place

On monday, the 15th of October, a nationwide series of raids were carried out against Tino Rangatiratanga, Peace and Environmental Activists.

This represents the first time warrants have been served under the new suppression ofterrorism legislation, and yet many of those arrested are peaceful activists dedicated to creating a community without violence or oppression.

Regardless of the outcome, it sets a dangerous president for this legislation if its earliest and most obvious consequence is to silence dissent.

The seventeen arrested were all initially denied bail and the reasons for this were withheld. In the majority of cases, those arrested have had name-suppression enforced at the request of police prosecutors, while the police's reasons for doing this have also been withheld.

No police were injured in the raids, no guns were fired, no bombs exploded, yet across the country law-abiding New Zealanders were woken by armed police at their doors, and in their homes.

Our friends and family have been labeled as violent terrorists by the police and media, but because their names are suppressed and their bail denied, the voices of the arrested themselves are yet to be heard.

Do we want to live in country where the police can act without transparency, hold without bail, and prevent effective protest by withholding information?

As part of a national day of action on October 27th, friends, family and well wishers of the two hamiltonian arrestees will gather in Hamilton's Garden Place to express their solidarity and concern.

ENDS

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