The long depositions hearing for 18 of the the Operation 8 defendants has finally finished, with Judge Perkins today committing 17 of them to face trial.

1 of the arrestees, Rongomai Bailey, had all charges against him dropped. [ Video interview with Bailey from NZ Herald ]

The other 17 arrestees will all face trial, possibly in late 2009 or early 2010. A large number of the charges against the remaining defendants have been dropped. While previously the 18 collectively faced 343 charges under the Arms Act, all charges relating to the camps alleged to have been held in November, April and August have been dropped, heavily reducing the total number of charges.

National leader John Key advocates that the Super Fund invests in up to 40% New Zealand companies. A good place to start would be by cleaning out deeply unethical international investments. The Super Fund currently invests in a plethora of companies involved with environmental destruction and the production of nuclear weapons and their delivery systems.

“We have long been lobbying for the Fund to divest from US Corporation, Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold and its joint venture partner, Rio Tinto Inc because of the irreparable harm these companies are doing to the environment and the people of Indonesian controlled West Papua,” said Maire Leadbeater speaking for the Indonesian Human Rights Committee. More

Previous indymedia stories:
18 September 2008 West Papuan Guerillas Demand Closure of Freeport Mine | 18 August 2008 Papuan tribal chief to sue mining giant Freeport | 4th August 2008 Report from Demo Against Superfund Investments in Freeport | March 21st 2007 Protest Against Superfund | December 2nd 2006 West Papuan independence day demo outside Superfund

The weekend before the election, join the rally for a decent minimum wage- $15ph NOW!

Saturday November 1st. 2pm Aotea Square, Queen Street, Central Auckland

In recent months, low paid people have taken strike action in casinos, banks, fastfood outlets, supermarkets and on the busses. Low pay is crippling a generation of workers who are now expected to bear the brunt of a vicious global recession.

It's time the resistance gathered.

We're not going to pay for their crisis.
We're not going to endure low pay anymore.
A new generation is going to resist the Global Recession and fight the greedy rich and their corporations.

Join the Rally Against Low Pay, and if the numbers are there, join us on an anti capitalist tour of Auckland's meanest bosses and their lackeys.

It's time to fight back as a class! [More info]

Indymedia links: Locked Out Welly Bus Drivers Stand Strong | Workers across Auckland fight huge rats | Airport Foodcourt Workers Strike Against Medieval Conditions | McStrikes Spread to Hamilton | Low-paid workers strike and protest at multiple stores

Today, Christchurch's paper, The Press has an interview with Awhitia Kohu and Moko Hillman, two Ruatoki residents terrorised by heavily armed Police during last year's October 15 raids. Neither Awhitia or Moko were arrested in the raids but they still had their house searched and were, along with their children, forced out of their homes whilst being 'painted' by rifle laser sights. The Police also searched their 15 year old daughter at gunpoint.

To quote from the article:

"At about five o'clock in the morning I heard a crash and a bang outside," said Kohu. "I went outside on my deck, through the sliding door … and I had all these little red spots all over me.

"The police were yelling out: `put your hands up'."

The red dots were the night-sights used by the police, who were armed with automatic weapons.

The article continues:

"Me and my children were escorted out onto the road. They already had dragged their father outside onto the road, and then the kids saw him getting cuffed, " Kohu said.

"They had him up against the bank and the kids are crying, carrying on, freaking, we don't know what's happening."

Hillman was taken to Rotorua for questioning.

This article should be read by everyone. It succinctly and vividly describes the terror forced on the Tuhoe people by the NZ Police. [Full article]

This morning life-sized posters of Helen Clark dressed as a 'ninja cop' appeared throughout Wellington. Today is the one year anniversary of gun-toting and armoured police terrorising people around the country in the name of terror prevention. Around 60 houses were raided at dawn, an entire community was locked down, and 17 activists were arrested on firearms charges in the NZ police's failed first attempt to use anti-terror law. [Public Art in Remembrance of 15 Oct 2007]

In Ruatoki, the community that was completely locked down and terrorised during the raids, there will four days of Stalls, Music, Movies, Activities, Art Display, Launching CD, Guest Speakers, Whakawhiti Korero, Krumping Competition, Photographs of the Raids at the Te Rewarewa Marae, Ruatoki, Te Urewera from 15th-18th October More

Auckland Come down to Aotea Square from 5:30pm tonight (October 15) for some fun and games to contrast the trauma and oppression felt on this same day a year ago. Food Not Bombs will provide food and hot drink, there will be music, and there will be mega twister! Bring your friends, family, blankets to picnic on, and all your usual banners and things if you like.

There will also be a solidarity picket outside Auckland District Court this Friday 17th October from 9.30am-10.30am. On Friday the Judge will be releasing his decision whether or not those arrested in the raids have to face trial. [More]

In Melbourne there is a picket of the NZ Consulate taking place on Wednesday October 15th at 1pm. More

9:30am-10:30am outside the Auckland District Court

Deposition hearings for the arrestees of the October 15th 'anti-terror' raids recently ended. On October 17th the judge will release his decision as to which charges will proceed to trial. The October 15th Solidarity group in Tamaki-Makaurau are calling for a morning picket to show support and solidarity for the arrestees.
We have not forgotten the state surveillance, repression, and imprisonment of Maori sovereignty activists and anarchists. We have not forgotten the racist harassment of the residents of Ruatoki. We have not forgotten the long history of colonisation, violence, and confiscation. Nor have we forgotten the indigenous struggle for self-determinatoin and resistance to the colonial state that continues to this day.

Come show your support for Tino Rangatiratanga and Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe. Stand in solidarity with the arrestees.

Auckland District Court 9.30am-10.30am on Friday October the 17th.

Please bring banners, placards and flags.

Ka whawhai tonu matou, ake ake ake!

Fairfax was today judged not guilty of contempt of court by Wellington's High Court. Fairfax published leaked suppressed evidence in the Operation 8 trials late last year, in clear violation of a court order.

The suppressed evidence published by Fairfax in the Dominion Post was only the most controversial portions of transcripts of recorded conversations between defendants. It was released shortly after the Police were denied the power to press terrorism charges and was no longer admissible under the comparatively minor arms charges which had to be pursued instead. In all probability, the evidence was leaked by the Police themselves to save face after their terrorism investigation fell over on its face.

“The market isn’t functioning properly. . .” - George Bush, Sept 25

What’s behind the current woes on Wall Street? Are the problems the result of just a few greedy speculators or do they reflect deeper problems within the system? Why do all the ‘mainstream’ discussions of the problems focus on the interests of business - what about the workers? Is there an alternative that puts workers’ interests first?

If you are in Dunedin or Christchurch Come along and hear Paul Hopkinson, John Edmundson and Philip Ferguson of the Workers Party address these issues:

DUNEDIN 7.30pm, Wednesday, Oct 15

OUSA Clubs & Societies building

84 Albany Street

CHRISTCHURCH 7pm, Wednesday, October 22

Workers’ Educational Association

59 Gloucester St