Anarchia

An Aotearoa Indymedia feature that I’ve been working on for a few days, and just finished…

European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, International Heliophysical year and Year of the Dolphin - 2007, what a year! Here are some of the stories that YOU published on your local Indymedia Centre in 2007. As always, the struggle continues! [ Highlights 2006 | 2005 ]

Your Aotearoa Indymedia Crew

October 15th Raids
In a wave of massive state repression in Aotearoa / New Zealand, 300+ para-military police carried out dawn raids at houses around the country on Monday October 15th 2007, making 17 arrests. Search warrants were carried out in Auckland, Whakatane, Ruatoki, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington and in Christchurch in the South Island. The police wanted to charge 12 people under the Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA). A massive solidarity campaign formed around Aotearoa and the world to support the activists in jail and after almost 4 four weeks in jail, the Solicitor-General, David Collins, announced that he would not be granting permission to the police to lay charges under the TSA. Everybody got released on bail. However, 16 people - people from Tūhoe, Te Atiawa, Maniapoto, Pakeha; indigenous activists, anarchists, environmental and anti-war activists - are still facing charges under the Arms Act. More information: The Struggle continues… | October15thSolidarity.info | Te Mana Motuhake ō Tūhoe | State Repression in Aotearoa

Tino Rangatiratanga - Tangata Whenua

In Janurary, Tūhoe set up a blockade at Paekoa Rd in Ruatoki. On Waitangi Day, the Tino Rangatiratanga did not fly on the Auckland Harbour Bridge. However, it flew around Aotearoa and the world (and in May was flying/jumping on/off the bridge). In April, Ngati Haua was occupying their ancestral Maunga Whakakoro in the far northto stop it from being alienated from the Hapu forever. Maori Revolutionary Syd Jackson died in September. Thousands of people attended his tangi in Hastings. Michael Cullen had to be protected from angry protesters after being verbally abused and jostled at Taemaro Bay in December. Ngati Aukiwa has been fighting for their land for years and oppose they oppose the Office of Treaty Settlements negotiations with the Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa Trust Board. In late December, activists started to gather in the Urewera to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the occupation at Waikaremoana.

Pacific

In February, Australian composer Martin Wesley-Smith’s piece Papua Merdeka (Free Papua) was dropped from the Asia Pacfic Festival in Wellington after pressure from the Indonesian Embassy. May saw the relese of The Nu Face of Youth Rebellion, a film produced for Aotearoa Indymedia on the uprising in Tonga in late 2006. An Indonesian Military officer started a course in NZ in May, sparking protests from human rights activists. The same month, Auckland University students protested against a visit by former Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas. Five Tongan People’s Representatives were charged with sedition in June. June also saw progress towardsa Free Trade Area of the Pacific. While the G8 met, the people of Tuvalu becamethe global face of climate change. As the Aboriginal communities of the Northern Territory in Australia came under renewed attack, people mobilised to support them across Aotearoa - Resistance is Existence: Aotearoa stands in solidarity against Australian Racism, International Day of Action: Stop the Genocide on Stolen Aboriginal Land & “Stop the Genocide!” - Protests Across Aotearoa. Helen Clark visited Jakarta in July, and ignored the abuses taking place in West Papua at the hands of the Indonesian Government. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer came to Auckland to speak to the National Party in July, and was met with protests. August saw Fijian public sector workers on strike despite intimidation and death threats from the military government. Meanwhile, Indonesian Police used guns to threaten a West Papuan activist who toured Aotearoa in 2006. As the US-NZ Partnership Forum prepared to meet in Auckland, AIMC carried analysis of the effects of the policies it promotes in the Pacific.

Animal Rights

Animal Liberationists were active early in 2007, while in February the Sea Shepherd confronted Japanese whalers. In March Animal rights activists prepared to protest against a meat conference, which took place in April. The Open Rescue Collective exposed a pit of chicken corpses with a live bird inside, while Auckland Animal Action protested against the start of duck hunting season in May. In June, an AAA activist was arrested for using a megaphone at an anti-fur protest. October saw a Christchurch Open Rescue group publicise their first rescue of battery hens.

Workers Rights

In April, sacked hotel workers fought back, while the EPMU and Labour colluded to sell out Air NZ workers. May Day was celebrated across Aotearoa in May, and a Subway franchise was taught the power of worker solidarity. Meanwhile, Filipino unionist Dennis Maga went on a national speaking tour and Protests haunted the tour of Phillipines President Arroyo in June. The exploitation of migrant workers was exposed, while South Auckland hotel workers fought against poverty wages, a demonstration in support of Rainbows End workers was held and coal miners across Aotearoa went on strike all before the end of June. July saw 800 hospital cleaners locked out after strike action and Aotearoa Indymedia provided updates throughout the lockout - Day 5: 800 Pickets Resisting - Your Support Needed! & Day 6: “Give Spotless the Boot!”. In August Auckland hotel workers were locked out, while the year finished with Maritime workers taking the fight to gates of Port of Napier.

(Anti-)Patriarchy

Convicted rapists Brad Schollum and Bob Shipton were found not guilty of raping another woman in March, with protests held across the country, and as International Women’s Day came, more nationwide demonstrations demanded justice for rape survivors. September saw the reinvigoration of the Anarcha-Feminist Network of Aotearoa.

Environment

The Save Happy Valley Coaltion continued its fight in January, while the Coalition began a second occupation, at Mt. Augustus, in February. The Department of Conservation supported Solid Energy against the Coalition, while Solid Energy announced they would sue SHVC in March. That same month, a reclaim the streets was held in Auckland. Save Happy Valley blockaded a coal train in April in Christchurch, while Rio Tinto loomed over the South Island in June. Solid Energy’s legal battle against Save Happy Valley continued in July, while in September, Genesis announced plans to decomission the Huntly coal power plant.

Indymedia

Aotearoa Indymedia had 113 features and many more newswire articles and comments in 2007. The year began with a convergence in Auckland at the start of February. Meanwhile, more mass media mergers and more lies were on the way. March saw AIMC host a “Boot Camp” in Wellington. A report into news media ownership in New Zealand was released in August, while September saw the announcement of the first ever Aotearoa Indymedia Newsreal, which should be finished and released in the coming weeks.

Peace

January saw the 20th annual Waihopai Spybase protest, while in February it was announced that Australian Prime Minister John Howard would be heading to Wellington. When he arrived, he was met with an angry protest by Peace Action Wellington and friends. The repression in East Timor was discussed in March, while the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq was marked by protests across the country. The role of Kiwi troops overseas was raised in April, including in protests at ANZAC Day ceremonies. Anti-ANZAC riots rocked East Timor in August, while in October, delegates to a weapons conference could not escape protesters.

Community

Otautahi Food not Bombs resisted police in January, while May saw the launch of Aotearoa’s first online radical bookshop and Food not Bombs and Christchurch students reclaim public space. May also saw the exposure of corporate spies inside two Wellington and one Christchurch based activist group. Protests were held after Mercury Energy cut off power to an Auckland woman, causing her death in July. An anarchist conference was announced for September in Auckland. 14 were arrested in Christchurch attempting to save a youth space in August, and councils were urged to implement user-pays for water. September saw protests against the US-NZ Partnership Forum in Auckland.

Global

March saw the eviction of a Danish social centre, provoking riots in Copenhagen. That same month, mobilisations were held across Central and South America against George W Bush’s tour. May saw police repression at the ASEM protest in Hamburg, Germany, while the Burmese people rose up against military rule in October. December saw 25 people sentenced to 110 years jail over charges from the 2001 G8 protest in Genoa, and the year finished with the Lakota Sioux declaring sovereign nation status.

Check out www.indymedia.org for more stories from all around the world.

Prison and Borders

In April, Hossein (Thomas) Yadegary, an Iranian refugee, was released from Mt Eden Prison after 30 months inside. Protests continued in May in support of two other Iranian refugees inside Mt Eden. In May, the New Zealand Immigration Service conducted dawn raids in Northland. June saw protests in support of the imprisoned Iranian refugees continue, and the tour of former Black Panther leader Angela Davis. Ali Panah, one of the imprisoned Iranian refugees, went on a hunger strike, and Aotearoa Indymedia provided updates - Dying Ali Panah kept in handcuffs - Day 34, HUNGER STRIKE DAY 49: SATURDAY PROTEST TO FREE ALI PANAH & Ali Panah: “Starving for Justice” - Seven activists arrested at Mt.Eden. After Panah’s release on bail on September 3, the focus turned towards freeing the last of the Iranian refugees, Amir Mohebbi, who had been in jail for 3 & 1/2 years. In October, Mohebbi was also released on bail. In November, an Aotearoa anarchist was arrested in Sydney on year old rioting charges stemming from the G20 protest in Melbourne. After initially being held in custody, he was granted bail after a few days.

p.s. Yes, we know - everything is connected! But just for the sake of putting stories into one box only, the struggle of Fijian workers, for example, ends up in the ‘Pacific’ section and not under ‘Workers Rights’.

Imagine this scenario: For the past 3 nights, you haven’t slept - of course, you’ve slept a few hours during the middle of the day, so you’re still somewhat functioning, but the sleep has been constantly broken and shitty even when it has existed. The fourth night, you decide you are going to try to sleep no matter how you feel, no matter how fast your mind is working, no matter what. At around 3:30am, you finally feel like there’s a small chance you can squeeze out some sleep, so you go to bed. You decide that old favourite method, reading yourself to sleep, and pick out the thing on your bookshelf that its been longest since you’ve read. You glance at it, think to yourself “thats not the best bedtime reading” but nothing else seems interesting, so you go to bed and start reading. The reading material you picked? Support, a (fucking excellent) zine about sexual assault and supporting survivors.

And that, my friends, was a really bad idea. Anyway, to cut a long story short, you read the whole zine, then turn out the lights. Your mind runs faster than ever, and eventually, you get out of bed, because there’s no way in hell you’ll be getting to sleep tonight. You go online, and post your experience on your blog, for some inexplicable reason in the third person. The end…

As you’ve probably heard if you’re in Aotearoa, rapists Clint Rickard, Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton are back in court this week over another rape they committed while police officers in Rotorua in the 1980’s. In this case, the three are charged with kidnapping and indecent assault against a wom*n who was just 16 at the time it occurred.

Last year, the three were on trial for raping another wom*n, Louise Nicholas, however, they were found not guilty by the injustice system. This verdict sparked off a wave of activity around the country, with thousands of people spreading information (in leaflets and emails) that the courts had declared illegal to spread in a statement of support for Louise Nicholas and all rape survivors. In addition, marches were held in Auckland and Christchurch. In the aftermath of the spread of the suppressed information, 3 people were charged with Breach of a Suppression Order, 2 in Christchurch (both were found guilty and fined) and one in Wellington.

I think we had a rare opportunity during that time to really raise questions about rape/intimate violence and how our society treats survivors. To some extent I believe that was done - I recall walking down the street at the time and overhearing people I’d never seen before discussing both the trial and the wider issues around it of sexism, the injustice system, rape culture and police power. Now, months later, that opportunity may be coming back, and I hope we all use it to really begin challenging ourselves and each other.

So often rape is seen as something done by the “other”, by the man in the jacket hiding around the corner. This could not be further from the truth - in most rapes, the rapist knows the survivor, and in many cases they are in a relationship. Unfortunately, it seems that it may have taken a case such as this (the survivor was in a relationship with Shipton at the time the rape occured) to make people realise this.

For more on the case, check out Capitalism Bad; Tree Pretty.

Lindsay Mitchell and David Farrar have both posted on a Rape Crisis programme for students. One of the scenarios given to students is as follows (emphasis mine):

Is this rape?

Jo is a Year 13 Student at XX High School. She is at a party on a Saturday night. Jared is going to be there and she’s been trying to hook up with him for awhile. She’s wearing a short skirt, boots, and a low cut top –she’s sure to catch his attention –She looks great. Jo and her friends drink a few bottles of wine before they get to the party and she feels pretty drunk by the time they arrive. At the party she starts talking with Jared, he asks if she wants to go up to one of the bedrooms –they walk up the stairs followed by comments from Jared’s mates as they close the door.

In the room they start kissing, and Jared is putting his hands up her top and down her pants, she likes it and starts touching Jared. Jared then takes off his pants and hers. Jo starts to feel uncomfortable and pulls back a bit, and pulls her underwear back up. She doesn’t want to have sex with Jared but doesn’t know how to stop it. Everyone at the party thinks they’re having sex, and she doesn’t want Jared to think she’s tight. Jared pulls her knickers back down and they have sex.

I don’t particularly even want to imagine the sort of fucked up thinking that could even begin to suggest that this sex was in any way consensual. Not only is Jared clearly not seeking active consent, but Jo has shown clearly that she is not giving her consent.

And yet, it seems commenters at both blogs see things differently. Some try to argue this from a highly flawed legalistic viewpoint, as if the law is the sole legitimate arbiter of consent. Yet others, perhaps coming from their own experiences, attempt to defend Jared’s actions. Here’s some quotes from the two blogs, most from men although a few from women:

• What is your answer? I say no it isn’t. Neither is it sexual abuse.
• There is no suggestion of criminal coercian on the part of Jared or any further actions that would (or should) led Jared to believe she is not consenting in the resulting sex.
• While Jared needs to control himself as a human being is capable of ,Jo needs to realise and learn that she is the main cause of the situation she finds herself in and that its up to her to not put herself in these situations by giving cared the undoubted come on.Maybe if women were made aware earlier in life just how strong the male sexual urge really was they would be better prepared to deal with it and not find out the hard way…Mothers educate your daughters…
• Jared certainly should have ascertained why Jo put her underwear back on, rather than pull them back down. But to paint this as criminal offending is highly arguable.
• Jocularity……
  Wouldn’t even be approved for prosecution in Aust.
• Just to stir things up,High Court judge Justice Morris said “If every man stopped the first time a woman said “no”, the world would be a much less exciting place to live”.
• Whatever it is, it’s not rape.
  If there’s fault, it’s 50:50.. case closed.
• This quite clearly is not rape. Her consent was letting her underwear be removed for a second time and having sex without protest.
  …
  Men are not mind readers. I agree this though is a very good example, not only for the definition of rape but why some people are too immature to put themselves in the position where they are procuring sex, which Jo quite clearly is.

And people try to deny we live in a rape culture…

Came across this excellent list at ginmar:

Someone in a previous post couldn’t figure out what to say to rapists to get them to stop raping. Here’s some clues. SAy this to your friends, family, coworkers and whoever if they say any of this stuff.

1. IF a guy says something sexist about a woman, tell him to shut the fuck up. Yeah, okay, see if you can get them to listen to reason. If they won’t, tell them they’re ignorant and bigoted. Say it loudly in front of lots of people.

2.IF a woman say something sexist about a woman, tell her to shut the fuck up. See above.

3. If a woman says she was raped, asked if she’s okay, and not what she was wearing.

4. If you see a guy at a party pouring lots of alcohol for a woman, keep an eye on him. Don’t blame the alcohol for the rape, either. It should make you nervous that you’re probably making the same excuse that he is.

5. If your buddy bitches about his ex girlfriend or ex wife, get her side of the story. If he sounds vicous about it, there’s a really good chance his ex isn’t the dogfucking, cokesniffing bitch he says she is. Women are not evil. Watch out for guys who think they are. Watch out for guys who are looking for an excuse to believe women are evil.

6. If you read a newspaper story that refers to a rape victim’s appearance as being ‘attractive’ or similir, write or call the editor. The victim’s appearance is not relevant to the story.

7. If you hear of a rape at a college, tell everyone you know you hope the guy goes to jail, no matter how many goals he scored. Then follow the story. If your friends say ignorant things about rape, correct them. To do that, see further down the list.

8. IF a woman you know says she’s been raped, believe her.

9. If a woman you know says she’s been raped by a buddy of yours, believe her.

10. Take a good long look at your buddies. They’re great to you: are they shits to women? Do you not give a shit? Then you are part of the problem. If it does…Tell them to shape up. If they don’t, dump them. Your friendship is a reward. If they get away with being sexist assholes with you, they think it’s okay.

11. Write to TV stations if they show sexist commercials and TV shows. Read up on sexism.

Oh, wait, I’m sorry, this list isn’t very glamourous, is it? There’s nothign fun to it, is there? No knights on white horses, no battles, just tedious day after day fighting, constantly, over small things. Worse yet, these are things you have to do yourself, not push off on women. Sucks, does’t it?

Well, if you don’t fight those small things, they become big things and men think they can get away with raping women. Adn the sad thing is, they can.

12. Read some books about rape.

13. Read some books about feminism.

14. If someone says something ignorant about feminism, correct them. IF they persist, let them know it’s offensive, and that they are no longer welcome.

15. Rapists are not guys in alleys. They are not mysterious figures. They’re ordinary guys. Take a good long look at your friends. You probably know a rapist. Deal with it. Don’t deal with it by thinking the victim is lying.

16. Think about your ideas about rape. Then do some research and compare them to reality.

17. Think about rapists. Think about the idea that they’re normal guys. See how that changes your world.

18. Think about the idea that maybe women have been telling the truth all along about rape, and it’s men who have been lying.

19. Look at your kids? Ever notice how much boys interupt girls and treat them disrespectfully? Tell them to stop doing that.

20. Every time you want to say something about how women should protect themselves against rape, say instead soemthing about how men shouldn’t rape.

If YOU want to stop rape, you must do your part, because people who don’t do these things contribute to a rape culture. The rapist is a normal guy. He’s just a bit more ‘normal’ than other sexually aggressive guys. He still calls what he does ’sex’ though. If you don’t do the things on the above list, it’s useless for me to write the next list. You understand?

And now for the fun part. This is for guys who don’t think what they’re doing or what their buddies are doing is rape.

This one doesn’t get a number:

Rape is not the same thing as sex. You do not get to decide what rape is.

1. Getting a girl drunk is rape. You’re a rapist. It’s not sex. It’s not whatever word you come up with. It’s rape.

2. Drugging a girl is rape. It’s not sex. It’s not ‘working a yes out.’ You’re a rapist.

3.If you commit one rape, you’re a rapist.

4. If you didn’t ask her and she didn’t say no or yes you might be a rapist. Deal with it.

5. If a girl had sex with you before, you are not entitled to have sex with her whenever you feel like it.

6. If you feel like having sex with a girl, she is under no obligation to comply.

7. She doesn’t owe you if you buy her dinner.

8. She doesn’t owe you if you get excited looking at her cleavage or whatever. Your arousal is your concern, not hers. IF you try and make it her concern, she, however, is entitled to do whatever is necessary to protect herself.

9. If you think a woman might like to have sex with you, ask her. If she says no this means she doesn’t want to. Take her at her word.

10. Rape is not a game. It is not a competition that a woman loses. You do not get points for scoring. You’re an asshole.

11. It doesn’t matter how many people she’s had sex with.

12. If she doesn’t say yes, you’re a rapist.

13. “She didn’t say no’ does not count as consent.

14. If she asks you to have sex with her, she is not a slut.

15. If she once asked you to have sex with her, you cannot then rape her whenever you want.

16. Sex is not something you earn. It’s not a paycheck.

17. IF she is not capable of saying no you are a rapist.

18. If you are in a position of power over her that some aspect of her fate depends upon, you are a rapist.

19. If you don’t have a gun, you’re still a rapist.

20. If you use a condom, you are still a rapist.

21. IF she asks you to use a condom, you are still a rapist.

22. If she is wearing nothing at all, you are still a rapist.

23. IF she fucked every guy in the school but you, you are still a rapist.

24. If you are her friend, and she said no, you are still a rapist.

25. If you prevent her from saying no, you are still a rapist.

26. If she’s too afraid to say no, you are still a rapist.

27. If she’s too unconscious to say no, you are still a rapist.

28. If she says anything but yes or let’s have sex you are a rapist.

29. If she says no while you are having sex and you do not immediately stop, you are a rapist.

30. If you were once married to her, you are not entitled to have sex with her once the marriage is over.

31. IF you are currently married to her or dating her, you are a rapist, if she says no.

32. If you prevent her from saying no or do not ask the question, you are a rapist.

33. It doesn’t matter if you were drunk or drugged. You are a rapist. You’re also in denial. You’re not doing anything you’re not capable of while sober.

34. If she’s wearing nothing but a thong, and she says no, you are a rapist.

35. IF she’s wearing a short skirt and she says no, you are a rapist.

36. If she’s drunk and naked and ahs fucked another guy and says no to you, you are a rapist.

37. If you know your buddy is going to commit a rape, and you do not object, yell, shout, or try and stop him, then there’s a very good chance you are a rapist.

38. If your buddy has raped a woman and you are still his buddy, you are a coward and you are contributing to a rape culture.

39. IF your buddy says things about how women ask for it and you don’t tell him he’s an asshole, you’re encouraging a potential rapist.

40. If you do not fight rape, you cannot fight feminists who do.

I recently took part in a (men only) workshop on consent run by a local anarchist men’s group who work on issues relating to patriarchy. Generally speaking, it was a good workshop - it was structured well, the facilitators did their job, people were honest and we had some interesting discussions. However, since the workshop, I have reevaluated it several times (with the help of a few discussions with people, some of whom were also at the workshop) and have got some thoughts together about why it didn’t quite feel right.

At the start of the workshop, we worked together to create some ground rules, in order to try to create a safe space where we felt able and willing to talk about our own experiences, safe in the knowledge we were amongst a group where we could constructively work together to broaden our own understandings of consent and confront that which had been inculcated into our minds from the moment we were born.

Unfortunately, my experience of this workshop was the same as every workshop I have been to on consent, male privelige, patriarchy, intimate violence and other such subjects. While I found the workshop worthwhile, I long for the day I attend a workshop where the atmosphere is more conducive to us actively challenging each other and ourselves. In short, I long for the day where the workshops, while remaining safe, can become uncomfortable.

This might sound like a strange thing to say, but allow me to run with it for a bit. In a safe environment, it is easy to bring up that which is already on the surface. The problem is, however, in order to be on the surface, an issue must already be in your mind, and you must already be willing (on some level) to deal with it. This means that you have already taken the first step, and, as long as you genuinely desire change, it can happen from this level. It strikes me, however, that the hardest part of challenging our own fucked up behaviours is to acknowledge and name them, and to create the desire to change them. This means that we need to bring issues to the surface from deep inside ourselves, and it is that which I feel workshops such as the consent one I began this post talking about could do best.

In order to be able to bring up issues we don’t even acknowledge, we need to be pushed and probed, both by ourselves and by others. We need to be taken to a (metaphorical) space where, while still feeling safe, we lose that sense of comfort - where we are being confronted and challenged. It is this that will bring our deeper emotions and behaviours to light.

How can we begin to create these spaces? In order to ensure they remain safe for all participants, I think the best solution is ongoing groups who work on this issue. Note, however, that I said groups, plural. The reality is that we all feel safe (and unsafe) around different people. And it is for this reason that I am not joining the group that ran the consent workshop - while I have respect and admiration for much of the work they have done and continue to do, the reality is that those are not the people I would desire to open up to when confronting patriarchy’s manifestations within myself.