An Anzac Day Peace Picnic with the theme of ‘Never Again’ will be held at Pukeahu National War Memorial on Friday 25 April from 12:30pm-2pm. This is a family-friendly peace event operating under the tikanga of mana whenua, Te Kotahitanga o Taranaki Whanui ki te Upoko o te Ika.

“'Never again' means no genocide,” said Valerie Morse, member of Peace Action Wellington.

“‘Never again’ is a phrase or slogan which is associated with the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The slogan was used by liberated prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp to denounce fascism.”

“We are coming together to stand against war, against fascism and to demand that we meet the aspirations of our ancestors who survived World War 1 and World War 2 for global peace and freedom,” said Valerie Morse, member of Peace Action Wellington.

“Anzac Day is portrayed as a day where the country can reflect on the horrors of war, the costs in human lives and commit collectively to never again allowing genocidal mass murder. We have to ask, is that really happening?” said Morse.

“In 2025 the Western world is actively funding a campaign of complete annihilation against Palestinians. Two million men, women and children are daily being shot, bombed from above, burned alive, bulldozed with tanks and held hostage inside a giant concentration camp called Gaza. This is paid for and provided by the US. Meanwhile, across the West fascism and far right political parties are gaining power with campaigns of hatred, exclusion, war, austerity and visions of armageddon.”

“The NZ government has failed to provide any humanitarian path for Palestinian refugees fleeing the bloodbath. It has been silent about Israel’s crimes. What’s worse is the government is now aiming to spend billions on new weapons of war and committing to fighting alongside the fascist USA in its endless wars. The new Defence Capability Plan clearly aligns NZ to the US and the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. This is incredibly dangerous for the peace and security of Aotearoa NZ and the wider Pacific,” said Morse.

The Anzac Day event is organised by Peace Action Wellington, Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition, VUW Socialists, Justice for Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine, Falastin Tea Collective and Alternative Jewish Voices.

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