A 10000-strong rally in Auckland (population: approximately 1 million)
saw the main street in the central city shut down by antiwar protesters.
As the primary march drew to a close with the majority of its
constituents in Myers Park in the central city, a small group of
anarchists, socialists, students, Arab youth and others staged a picket
of the city's central arterial road. The group of about 60 remained in
place for over an hour, supported from the sidelines by a number of
sympathisers. The group sat down and linked arms, expecting to be
arrested or baton charged as more and more pig^H^Holice arrived on the
scene. Despite this, the only orders were issued by the march mashalls,
urging people to get off the road.
An open megaphone session was held at the picket, followed by a decision
to picket the US consulate. A call for solidarity raised the numbers to
about 500, with the breakaway march proceeding back down the street,
occupying individual intersections one at a time for short periods. The
picket at the US consulate saw the majority of the nervous-looking
pi^Holice leaving at our urging. These were apparently the unionized
constituents of the security apparatus; the remainder were predominantly
the riot squad. Later, the Australian high commision was also picketed.
The police presence was significant, including overt surveillance
performed illegally. None of the pickets have been challenged, however,
and no arrests have been made.
Some images at below links:
http://www.indymedia.org.nz/front.php3?article_id=4589&group=webcast
http://www.indymedia.org.nz/front.php3?article_id=4606&group=webcast http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0303/S00200.htm
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A weekly picket every Monday 7.30 AM at Defence Plaza site has been announced. VPN mass rallies with no accompanying direct action will kill this movement. San Francisco with 2000 arrests should inspire us. Join and promote these actions to build a strong grass roots campaign of civil disobedience to stop the war machine.
This morning 40-50 peace activists successfully shut down Defence Plaza - a military/defence department building containing a recruitment centre in the CBD.
No-one entered or left the building between about 8.30am to 11.30 am, and workers who had not made it in before this time were told not to report for work for the rest of the day. Despite the attendance of the Police Force Response no attempt by police was made to break the picket.
At the conclusion of this empowering action, protesters spontaneously decided to make the picket a weekly event until Australin troops are brought home.
WHEN : Every Monday Morning
7:30 AM
WHERE : Defence Plaza 661 Bourke St
(near Spencer St Station)
Plese help us to build and promote these actions. Send emails, tell your friends and most importantly - come along!!!
It is obvious that it will require more than mass rallies to stop this war. Constant rallying without any direct action will quickly demoralise protesters. Also Simon Crean has shown the logical extension of the "I oppose the war but support our troops" - by coming out and saying that "our troops - should be supported as they finish their mission and not be brought home. In other words the war is wrong but I think we should keep fighting it, until we win!"
Instead of this crap - Australians who oppose the war need to show the strength of their opposition by actually getting in the way of the war machine which is murdering its way through Iraq.
Activists around the world have been committing non-violent acts of civil disobedience. In Britain, activists have sabotaged war planes and blockaded bases. In the U.S. over two thousand have been arrested in San Franciso alone. In Brisbane acticvists have also been arrested in an anti-war Blockade. Today protesters tried to storm Parliament House in an inspiring act of protest and were ejected from question time. Melbourne needs to join this movement.
The Union, Peace, and ALP bureacucrats oppose direct action against the war machine. So do the right wing press - Neil Mitchell said today "we were almost treasonous" - so it must be the right thing to do!!! As we don't have leadership support so far - the grass roots need to make this happen and bloom. Build the blockades of Defence plaza - call your own direct actions - lets make this happen. See you Monday!!!!
P.S. If you want to help make this happen please email [EMAIL PROTECTED] add your own comments
Townsville too
by Citizen Coleman 7:25pm Mon Mar 24 '03 comment#44682
address: Townsville
last week we got 300 -350 the day war started , so we will be outisde Peter Lindsay's office every thursday 5pm till they bring the troops home
http://melbourne.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=44674&group=webcast
