Report from Protests against Alexander Downer@National Party Conference

Protests in solidarity with Aboriginal Australia were held yesterday outside the annual National Party conference at the Langham Hotel, on Auckland's Symonds Street. Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, was one of the conference's invited quests. Everyone was in high spirits. Many had stayed the previous night at the tent embassy , in a near by park.



Demonstrators highlighted that the National Party had invited a man from a racist government that has stolen Aboriginal land and sent troops to Iraq as a guest of honour. This shows that despite Don Brash resigning the National Party hasn't changed at all - it's still a party that represents the rich and powerful against the interests of working people and the Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa.

At 2:30pm a group of around 30-40 people picketed the conference. Placards had messages such as "Save Aboriginal children from Howard" and "Downer and John Key. Which one is the closet racist?" Maori and Aboriginal sovereignty flags were flown. Lots of passing motorists tooted and waved to show support. Some National Party members came outside in their flash suits to have a look and Prime News filmed.

We were going to have a demo at 7pm to co-incide with the start of Downer's dinner time address but it was decided the demo should be moved foward to 5:30pm in the hope it would recieve more media attention (the Downer speech was closed to the media) A group of about 15 people braved the pouring rain to provide an extremely rowdy welcome for Downer. With the help of whistles, loud hailer and shakers made from tins filled with rocks we made heaps of noise. We circled the Langham Hotel chanting "Downer, Downer we know you. You're from a racist country too", "Always was. Always will be - Aboriginal Land!" and "National, National, we know you. You have racist policies too!". A TVNZ cameraman came out and filmed us and a NZ Herald photographer took some photos. When one demonstrator started singing about how he couldn't hear what he was saying because of the ear plugs in his ears even the cops, guarding the conference, in their fluro yellow rain coats started laughing.



Lots of leaflets calling for an end to Howard's land grab in the Northern Territories and the Seabed and Foreshore Act in Aotearoa were handed out to people walking past. Even some National Party members seemed quite interested. I tried handing a leaflet to one National MP and two Nat women but they politely declined. It was quite funny they appeared to be leaving the Langham to go to an Italian restaurant across the street, just as Downer's dinner was about to start. Maybe they didn't want to pay the 90 or so dollars to enjoy dinner with a member of a racist and militaristic colonial government.
The demonstration made news headlines on ABC in Australia

http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/73459/index.php

http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Downer-targeted-over-indigenous-action/2007/08/05/1186252528087.html

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/05/1996946.htm?section=justin

Tent Embassy ki Tamaki

Last night protesters camped near the National Party conference in solidarity with Aboriginal Australians

http://indymedia.org.nz/mod/comments/update/index.php

Last night protesters spent the night camped in a Auckland park near to the National Party conference being held at the Langham hotel. The tent embassy was in solidarity with Aboriginal Australians whose communitys are once again under attack from a racist government. The protest was in response to Alexander Downer's the Australian foreign ministers upcoming visit to the national party conference this evening. Imaginative Action and Radical Youth the key groups behind the protest see the current actions by the Australian government against the Aboriginal population as a racist land grab and clear breach of Aboriginal rights.

The camp which was active throughout the entire night spoke to dozens of passers by with many stopping and over a dozen joining the camp for several hours. Virtually all attention was positive and the camp of about 30 was not disturbed at all by police. Local security were very supportive of the action.

Protests today are at 2.30pm outside the Langham hotel and 7pm. The tent embassy is expected to continue throughout the day.

Aboriginal/Aotearoa Solidarity-Tamakimakaurau

Chur Tamaki, Hi mum, sis, cuzz & bro, very homesick...roll on bail hearing. lovely to see the tamariki there.































credit to Simon from NDU (Aotearoa) for the choice pics.

Media release on Voices of Peace

been borrowing his "two cheeks of the same arse" phrase brill way to describe Racist Capitalist Imperialists.

RAM ­ Residents Action Movement
Media release on Voices of Peace
13 July 2007

GEORGE GALLOWAY
British Respect MP & world peace campaigner

'I am delighted to speak in
Auckland against Islamophobia'

"I am delighted to be invited to speak in Auckland against the rising
tide of Islamophobia. Racism against Muslims is the accompanying
factor of George Bush¹s so-called War on Terror," said British Respect
MP & international peace campaigner George Galloway.

Expelled from the British Labour Party for opposing the US war in
Iraq, Mr Galloway shot to world fame in May 2005 when he testified
before the US Senate to reject allegations of taking money from Saddam
Hussein to help Iraq break American trade sanctions. During his Senate
appearance the left-wing British MP turned the tables on pro-war
politicians by charging the administration of US president George Bush
with war crimes in Iraq.

The politically-inspired allegations against Mr Galloway were finally
laid to rest in March 2007 when the London Metropolitan Police and the
British Serious Fraud Office announced that he had no case to answer.

Mr Galloway is speaking at two Voices of Peace meetings in Auckland on
27-28 July hosted by RAM, the Residents Action Movement. These
meetings are open to the public and entry is free. (Meeting details
below.)

"Demonising the peoples of the Middle East who resist Western rule
leads inevitably to demonising their co-religionists who live in the
West," said Mr Galloway. "The result is racism and bitter alienation
among young Muslims, providing the very breeding ground for nihilistic
acts of terrorism which the war is purportedly waged to reduce."

"Islamophobia is also the smokescreen for the failure of US imperial
policy in Iraq and the wider Middle East. It is rising along with the
savage death toll in Iraq ­ of Iraqis themselves and of American and
British troops."

"We will not end this new racism unless we end the wars of aggression
that breathe life into it. That¹s the message I will be bringing with
me to New Zealand. And, from what I know of the country, I anticipate
a warm response," concluded Mr Galloway.

Contact RAM organiser Grant Morgan for a photo of George Galloway.
Email grantmorgan@... or call 021 2544 515.

VOICES OF PEACE
AUCKLAND MEETINGS
GEORGE GALLOWAY will be addressing these two meetings:

TOWN MEETING
7.30pm, Saturday 28 July.
Auckland Girls Grammar School Theatre.
16 Howe St (off Karangahape Rd).
The three other speakers are:

* JAVED KHAN, president of Federation of Islamic Associations of NZ.
* PAUL BUCHANAN, international security analyst & director of the
Working Group on Alternative Security Perspectives at the University
of Auckland.
* GRANT MORGAN, organiser of RAM ­ Residents Action Movement.

Limit of 800 seats, so those interested are being advised to get there
early. NO DOOR CHARGE. Donations will be accepted.

UNIVERSITY MEETING
6pm, Friday 27 July.
University of Auckland.
Venue to be confirmed.
The three other speakers are:

* NIBRAS KARDAMAN, young Muslim woman & representative of the
Working Together Group.
* STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE of the campus organising group.
* GRANT MORGAN, organiser of RAM ­ Residents Action Movement.

NO DOOR CHARGE. Donations will be accepted.


Both meetings OPEN TO THE MEDIA.

WORKSHOPS
There will also be Voices of Peace workshops where topics touching on
Islamophobia can be discussed together by Muslims and non-Muslims.
George Galloway will give the introduction.
2-5pm, Sunday 29 July.
Fickling Convention Centre, 546 Mt Albert Rd, Three Kings.
Limit of 250 participants, so those interested are being advised to
get there early.

Indigenous Solidarity

Support for the Australian Aboriginals in there struggles for self determination and sovereignty of their lands against the Howard Racist Govt, recent protest and occupation of Gubbament consulate in Tamakimakaurau (Auckland). Chur to see Uncle Rupene Karaka...much love to the whanau.