Abuse in Tongan prisons - IMC activist almost arrested
It was raining for most of Wednesday and Thursday morning so we didn’t do all the things we had planned for. We talked to people about the brutality in the prisons and met three men who were beaten by soldiers. A woman told us how her neighborhood protected Chinese shops from being destroyed on Thursday, 16th November and an IMC activist was almost arrested outside the Nuku’alofa prison/police station. More

If a boat ends up on a reef… Tonga Report 3
Our media pass was finally dropped off on Tuesday morning which allows us to get through the army checkpoint and into the city centre. The number of destroyed buildings is enormous. Most buildings are destroyed, windows smashed, burn-out cars are in the streets, many buildings have been burnt, and the shelves inside shops are empty. Two cafes are open at the moment – mainly to cater for the NZ police – everything else is shut/destroyed. A Chinese couple was cleaning out their watch repair shop. They described how people smashed the windows with rocks and bottles, came inside and took everything: money, watches, the microwave and fridge that were out the back etc. The owner was punched in the face by someone because he tried to stop the looting. More

UPDATE: Report 2: Soldiers and cops wherever you go
Saturday/Sunday, November 25/26, 2006
Nuku’alofa/Pangaimotu – The city centre of Nuku’alofa has been completely closed off after last Thursday’s riots. Military checkpoints have been set up on every intersection. Only people who work and/or live inside that part of town are let in. Journalists can get a special pass which gives them access to the part of town where most buildings are damaged but unfortunately we have not been able to get media accreditations yet. There are close to 20 of these roadblocks in town.
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Report 1: Friday/Saturday, November 24/25, 2006

Nuku’alofa (Tonga) – We, two indymedia (www.indymedia.org.nz) activists, arrived at Fua’amato International Airport early on Friday morning from Aotearoa. After leaving the plane we had to walk to the arrival hall past three Tongan soldiers, two of which were carrying large rifles and the other a hand gun. A police officer walked around with his dog while people where waiting at the immigration desks. More members of the Tongan Defense Force (TDF), armed and in camouflage gear, stood around in the arrival hall. On our way into town we past a military checkpoint at the turn-off to the airport. They didn’t pull us over and we drove the 20kms into the city.

Read more: From a Tongan Marxist on Indymedia | Call out to demonstrate in Auckland | Alliance Party opposes intervention | Rick Kelly on another Pacific intervention
More Pacific Comment: Canberra maintains aggressive stance towards Solomons | Imperialism pushing Fiji towards another coup | A citizen's guide to an emerging empire | Fillipino union activist shot dead | Truth, West Papua and Indonesia: 2+2 really can = 5

Early on Sunday morning, the 19th of November, animal rights activists broke into a battery hen farm in West Auckland removing 35 chickens.

Activists gained entry into Eggs R Us on Henderson Valley Road, by cutting a large hole in one side of a shed. The shed contained row after row of caged hens.

Dozens of rats could be seen running between cages. Many of the birds were in a poor condition, having missing feathers and red inflamed skin from rubbing on the bars; all the birds were de-beaked. The conditions on this farm were unfortunately standard for this cruel industry; filthy, overcrowded and inhumane.
Multimedia: Video | Photos
Links: Auckland Animal Action | Arkangel (New Zealand) | Exposing Poultry Fraud | Campaign Against Factory Farming
Recent Actions: Open rescue of twenty battery hens in Foxton | Online SAFE Campaign against Pig Crates

Riots broke out in Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa after a demonstration on Thursday. About 800 people marched onto parliament with banners slogans calling for immediate reform, others attacked public figures, while another labeled the current structure a "deadly virus". At night, protesters set fires to businesses in the city centre and turned cars over. Windows were smashed in the Prime Minister's Office Parliament House, the Magistrates Court,the Public Service Commission Office, the Ministry of Finance and three vehicles overturned and government cars smashed in government parking lots. One company targeted was power company Shoreline, owned by the King. The aristocratic class control the economic and political aspects of life against which the people have been resisting for years. The protests and riots are part of the struggle against the feudal system which is oppressing the Tongan people.

The King and his government have now declared martial law. Some snippets: "Any person authorised by Cabinet, and every member of the Tonga Police Force and the Tonga Defence Services, shall for the purposes of preserving public order and securing the public safety, have power to order a meeting, procession of any assembly of 5 or more persons held in a place or building (whether public or private) to disperse; order every person to remain indoors between certain hours; regulate the movement or conduct of a person or class of persons; search or detain for the purpose of searching a person; detain any arrested person for a period not exceeding 48 hours."

The NZ and Australian Governments have now sent soldiers and cops to Tonga in attempt to crush the resistance. The capitalist media is trying to convince us here that the people are "welcoming" the troops but Tonga's pro-democracy movement has condemned the intervention. Pro-democracy supporter Akilisi Pohiva says the current regime and the monarchy have failed and can no longer maintain law and order. Peace Action Wellington held a protest against the deployment of troops to Tonga outside the New Zealand Defence Force Headquarters [ Photos ].

Tonga: Biggest Protest Ever! (May 05) | Tonga - schools smashed - 200 arrested! (Aug 05) | A Revolution in the Pacific? (Aug 05) | Tongan activist rams gate of King's Auckland Residency (July 06)

Israel's bloody seige of Gaza is continuing. unabated. In a recent five-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip, 47 Palestinians have been killed and around 250 injured. In the past four months more than 350 Palestinians have been killed.

Tanks and armored vehicles have been surrounding the Beit Hanoun hospital for the last six days and preventing medical volunteers and victims of violence from reaching it. On Sunday, 21 year old ambulance driver Ahmad Madhun and medical volunteer Mustafa Habib were murdered and Dannielle Abu Samra was wounded while trying to tend to the wounded.

People are starving; they have no water or electricity or telecommunications. Vast areas of fertile productive land have been destroyed. This incursion came on top of the collapsed economic situation for all Palestinians inside Gaza. Al-Awda Hospital’s teams can reach the village outskirts where it is also very dangerous, but medical rescue teams are not allowed inside the village without a very high level of coordination. Nobody is allowed in or out of the village.
From Gaza, with Love - A blog by Dr. Mona El-Farra

On Friday Israel murdered two unarmed female non-violent demonstrators in the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Video: 1 | 2

More from Gaza: Letter: European inaction and complicity as Gaza burns | Olmert to press on with Gaza offensive | IOF Perpetrates state-sponsored terrorism in Beit Hanoun | Israel kills two ambulance workers | Bloodbath in Beit Hanun | Gaza's Reality (video) | Solidarity actions around the world

Take Action: Protest Extrajudicial Killing | Donate to Mid. East Childrens Alliance | Urgent appeal to make the month-long campaign a worldwide one | Buy the "Colors of Palestine" 2007 Calendar

Don't hate the media! Be the Media! Let the world know about and see any actions you participated in over the weekend. Post an action report! Upload Images!

Across Aotearoa there have been mobilisations against climate change. In Auckland ClimAction held a "reclaim the streets" which attracted around three hundred people. A large section of Queen Street was blocked off for three hours and a mound of ice formed an ad hoc stage, dancefloor and paddling pool. Clowns, a polar bear, face painting, music, juggling and toboggans cobined to become a 'Carnival Against Climate Change' that turned what is usually a polluted, noisy and grey area of street into a festival of resistance. [ Photos ]

Greenpeace activists scaled the 60m Marsden B power station which is planned to convert to coal and set up a radio transmitter on the roof. Greenpeace is also beaming "Climate Rescue Radio", Heatwave FM on the internet and have launched an open letter to the New Zealand Government demanding urgent action on climate change as part of a Global Day of Action. [ Sign letter to NZ Govt. | Listen to Heatwave FM | News from Greenpeace ]

In Wellington, members of the Save Happy Valley Coalition marched from Aro Valley to Parliament and then Waitangi Park wetland to highlight state-owned enterprise Solid Energy’s proposal to destroy a pristine wetland ecosystem on the West Coast of the South Island. In collaboration with local artists, marchers were body painted to bring attention to the myriad native and endangered species threatened by the proposed coal mine. [ Photos and Media Release ]

In Christchurch, the Save Happy Valley Coalition held a beach party outside state-owned coal miner Solid Energy's headquarters, to highlight the new coastline that coal companies may commit the world to by the end of the century. [ Report + Photos ]

Global: Global Climate Campaign | Global gallery of photos/video | 20,000 in London | 30,000 in Melbourne | Greenpeace UK shut down coal plant | Pacific Islands will be drowned by global warming

Links: Greens mobilise across the nation | ClimAction | Save Happy Valley Coalition | Climate Defence Network

Maritime Union members started a protest at 7am today on board the vessel Rotoiti at the Ports of Auckland. The crew are drawing attention to the fact that when the Rotoiti is withdrawn from service on 26 November, it will be the end of the last New Zealand crewed ship working on the trans-Tasman trade. The 34 crew stopped work this morning and are preventing the ship from being unloaded. The vessel is currently owned by international shipping line Hapag Lloyd. [ Media Release ]

A 24-hour strike and community protest in support of workers at Independent Liquor took place on Wednesday. The workers took action in support of their pay claims and in opposition to the vicious bullying, intimidation and harassment of union members at this site. Independent Liquor workers are fighting for parity with other brewery workers. These workers typically earn $300 per week less than Lion and DB workers. This has been a long and very difficult battle carried out by the workers. The company has stonewalled negotiations and victimised Unite union members. Independent Liquor is now being sold, with the workers left high and dry, and with poor redundancy arrangements. [ 1 | 2 ] After two days on strike this week these workers are taking further strike action on Tuesday. [ Details ]

On Friday, around twenty people held a rally outside the Hyatt hotel where the Golden Service cleaning industry awards were being held. The protestors awarded cleaning contractor Spotless Cleaning with their own "Golden Toilet Duck" award for the lack of respect that the company shows cleaners. [ Report ]

With the University of Auckland proposing to restructure the faculties of Education, Business and Arts, causing the loss of 54 jobs, the Association of University Staff is calling for people to send protest emails to Unversity of Auckland Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon. "Those being made redundant are some of the most esteemed staff in the faculties, and it appears that the restructuring is being undertaken without proper regard for either the integrity of teaching programmes or normal procedures of academic decision-making." [ Newswire Article | Take Action ]

TVNZ staff in Auckland and Wellington have been engaging in short lightning strikes, disrupting corporate media programmes, as part of their campaign for a 5% pay rise and the resolution of issues to do with their service leave. [ Read More ]

Links: Maritime Union | Unite | Anarcho-syndicalism | prole.info | libcom.org

November 1 2006 marks two years in Mt Eden Remand Prison for Iranian asylum seeker Thomas Yadegary. Thomas is an Iranian chef who is being held because he refuses to sign papers which would result in him being forced to return to Iran where his life would be at risk. On Saturday October 28, around 60 people, including Thomas' support group, local Christian groups including Pax Christi, Global Peace Aand Justice Auckland, the Worker's Party and the Green Party picketed Mt. Eden prison calling it, "Labour's own Guantanamo Bay, here in the heart of Mt.Eden". Thomas is due to appear in court on Friday November 3rd and GPJA will join his supporters in court for his appearance. GPJA has been campaigning for Yadegary's release and has picketed the immigration offices in 2005(See photo-left).

For the past 23 months Thomas Yadegary, an Iranian, has been imprisoned without charge or trial in Auckland’s Mt Eden prison. Last week Associate Immigration Minister Clayton Cosgrove once again washed his hands of Thomas’s situation so his detention is due to continue indefinitely. Thomas came to New Zealand in 1993 and applied for refugee status. For 12 years he worked hard and was a model citizen. Despite the strong support of a wide circle of friends and his Christian community, which includes support from his Catholic bishop, his application was turned down and on 1 November 2004 he was taken into custody at Mt Eden to await deportation. He has been there since. [ Read More ]

Links: Scoop Report: Amnesty Does U-Turn On Yadegary Case | Scoop Backgrounder | Comment on No Right Turn