Demonstrate Saturday against the sale of Kwila at the Four Seasons furniture outlet in Wairau Park.

After winning at Design Warehouse the campaign group will now focus on Four Seasons, with a demonstration outside their showroom this Saturday 20th December between 1pm and 3pm.

Solidarity with indigneous people struggling against murderous logging corporations who want to destroy the forest homes of the West Papuan tribes can only be manifested by making it uneconomic to stock Kwila.

When: 1pm-3pm, 20 December 2008.
Where: 4 Seasons, 1/14 Link Drive, Wairau Park, Auckland.
Who: Rainforest Action Coalition
Contact: aspaceinside (at) gmail.com. Transport will be going from Auckland city, email the above address to get a ride.

This summer a rag-tag bunch of activists will attempt to impose a people's ban on the selling of Kwila in Auckland City, a mostly illegally logged rainforest hardwood sold across the Western world as outdoor furniture or decking timber.

Rob Gilchrist, a Christchurch-based man has spied on activist groups for more than 10 years. He worked for the NZ Police and was sending information to Detective Peter Gilroy and Detective Sergeant John Sjoberg. They are both members of the Special Investigation Group (SIG). The SIG has groups in Auckland (headed by Aaron Lee Pascoe), Wellington (headed by Brian Woodcock) and Christchurch (where Gilroy and Sjoberg are based). Gilchrist, also know as balaclava, was spying on various groups including the Save Happy Valley Coalition, Peace Action Wellington, Auckland Animal Action and many other groups and individuals.

“This man has not only participated in illegal activity, including breaking and entering buildings, but has incited others to do the same, all the while, being paid by Police to report on them. The Police then use this information to make a case to a court of law in order to obtain search warrants and interception warrants and to make arrests” said Sally Darity from the Justice NOW! Collective. “Gilchrist provided Police with information on at least three of the defendants in Operation 8 – the name for the State Terror raids of October 15th 2007. The police affidavit which was used as evidence to gain interception warrants against these people and many others is filled with ‘informant information’.”

“The ‘informant information’ is not available to the defendants. The identity of the informant is secret. This leaves the defendants in a legal black hole – defending themselves against information they do not have access to, from a person whose credibility cannot be questioned.”

“The exposing of Gilchrist as a police informant is clear evidence of the manufacture of the police case in Operation 8. The Police are desperate to justify their massive ‘anti-terrorism’ budget, so they have branded activists as terrorists. Political protests, including prayer circles outside the US Embassy, are routinely subject to heavy police surveillance. The targeting of political groups should be a wake-up call to everyone who is concerned about the exponential growth of state surveillance and police power at the expense of freedom and justice.”

Articles: How Gilchrist was found out | Police anti-terror squad spies on protest groups | Police using spies and lies to make case | Special Intelligence Group targetting political dissidents | Unsubstantiated accusations

A dozen activists from Socialist Aotearoa, the Workers Party and the Greens protested outside John Key’s house today, against the passing of the 90-day bill. The new law which comes into force in March 2009 gives small employers the right to sack staff in the first 3 months without legal redress.

The noisy protest ruffled the feathers of some of the residents of Key’s leafy neighbourhood. Some parents complained saying “there are children in the area, you know!” But rather than being horrified by the picket a large bunch of 8 to 14 year olds joined in, obviously enjoying the picket theatrics.

The picketers chanting “So it didn’t take you long; workers rights down the John” got some disapproving looks from the Range Rover mums, but lots of support from the younger set.

A demonstration took place today outside the Greek embassy, to denounce the murder of 16 year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos in Athens on December 6th of this month & solidarity with the anarchist demonstrating throughout Greece.

Heavy security awaited the arrival of people at the entrance of the embassy, two cops stood either side of the doors, private security and police photographer with embassy staff outside taking photos of the demonstrators. There was a report from a member of the public who witnessed a photographer from inside the carpark across the road lying down behind the barrier and hiding whilst photographing the demo.

One of the banner's read in greek: 'No police, no police violence'

On November 17, Annalucia Vermunt was detained by officials at Auckland International Airport for over four hours on her return from a visit to Sydney. While being held, she was subjected to a strip search and questioned about her political involvement in the World Federation of Democratic Youth. The Communist League is initiating an open letter to the Ministers of Immigration and Customs to protest this political harassment. We are inviting people to add their names to this letter.

It's not too late to book your spot at the most delectable dinner of the year!

This coming Saturday, the 13th of December there will be a glorious vegetarian feast (vegan and gluten free options will be in abundance) at 8 Mt Eden Rd, followed by the film What Would Jesus Buy which follows Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir on their tour of America in an effort to save the world from the coming Shopocalypse!

$10 waged, $8 unwaged

RSVP to akfreespace(at)gmail.com

National’s sacking bill is going to meet resistance.

The 90 day bill is an overt attack on workers' rights, targeting the most vulnerable in small worksites. Workers in these job sites currently enjoy few rights as they are mostly not unionised and the employers consequently have a great deal of power.

The CTU is responding with a petition and looking at putting adverts in the major newspapers. This falls well short of what is needed.

Direct action by workers is the way to respond to this attack.

Unite union is taking the lead by saying that any worker can join Unite for $2 a week and get phone advice and back up where needed. If workers are wrongly sacked in the 90 day period Unite will organise pickets in defence of these people. Any employer who sacks under this legislation could find themselves confronted by a rowdy picket line and Unite's 20 foot rat.

Employers plainly want to put the pressure on workers; it's time to push back.

Contact: Daphna Whitmore 0294949865

Links: Unite Union | Workers Party

7pm Thursday December 11. Auckland Trades Hall, 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn.

New Zealand is heading for recession. Our jobs, wages, homes, pensions, benefits and public services are all under threat. We did not cause this. It was the financial elite of wealthy bankers, investors and speculators who have put us in this situation, yet they expect us to pay for their crisis. Already we have seen job losses, cuts in services and price rises.

Socialist Aotearoa has invited a broad range of speakers; trade unionists, socialists, environmentalists, community groups, and interested individuals, to begin the debate on how to unite the left against the effects of the global financial crisis.

Speakers include: John Minto from Unite Union, Green MP Sue Bradford, Frank Doleman from Socialist Aotearoa and other concerned socialists, environmentalists, community activists and individuals.

Links: National's Suprise Move to Ram Through 90 Day Bill | Socialist Aotearoa