Hikoi Sent Off From Cape Reinga with Pointed Message for the Government: Aotearoa is Not for Sale

Tuesday 24 April 2012, Kerikeri: Today 60 people, including kaumatua of the northern tribes, gathered at Cape Reinga to send off the hikoi ‘Aotearoa is Not For Sale’. Those travelling on the hikoi were sent off with blessings and well wishes. Kaumatua stressed the importance of the message – a message they expect will resonate across the country – that our land, assets and resources are not to be flogged off to corporations.

At lunchtime 300 people of all ages marched and chanted along the main street of Kaitaia. “This is one hell of a big march for this little town”, said one protestor.

Banners were held by protestors reading ‘No drilling – don’t kill our coast’, ‘Northland no mining’ and ‘He taonga te whenua’.

Later, after a warm welcome at Koropripo Pa by te Wakameninga o nga hapu o Ngapuhi, protest moved to the Far North District Council headquarters in Kerikeri. Eighty protesters were in vocal opposition to the Council and district’s Mayor Wayne Brown being in collusion with the Ministry of Economic Development and Australasian mining interests in surveying Northland for minerals and acting without consent to entice multinational mining companies to Northland.

Banners read: ‘Ask us - don’t shaft us’, ‘Stop Undermining Paptuanuku’ and ‘toxic waste....

Tomorrow war veterans will join the hikoi in Kaikohe, Kawakawa and Whangarei to commemorate ANZAC Day and express their displeasure at fighting to keep our country and its resources and assests safe in wartime, and their disgust and current Government plans.

The hikoi is expected to gather numbers and momentum as it travels to Auckland for a large march this Saturday 28 April

The journey of the hikoi began at the tail of the fish to end up at the head, Wellington in two weeks.

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