5/23/12

Interview with Emily Bailey and Urs Signer from the Urewera 4




This week the 'Urewera 4' - Emily, Urs, Rangi and Taame - will be sentenced in the Auckland High Court. This is happening on Thursday, May 24 at 9am. The court is open to the public and we encourage people to come to support them.

 The pre-sentence report (required by the court) has recommended community service, but the crown is pushing for jail time. The decision is up to the judge. The maximum term for Arms Act charges is 4 years or a $5000 fine. If this wasn't a racist police operation, then we would actually see those responsible for serious criminal offending being punished.

By this, of course, we mean the police involved who were found to have committed wilful trespass onto Tuhoe hand and breached human rights in the process. We are working to have these Arms Act convictions thrown out by having the decision of the Supreme Court applied to the remaining four defendants. This is only one step to a just outcome for the horror wrought by Operation 8. We also want the Terrorism Suppression Act repealed, the victims of the raids compensated, Te Urewera returned to Tuhoe and tino rangatiratanga for all iwi and hapu.