The first issue of Solidarity, free monthly newssheet of the Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement. This issue has a special feature on water issues across Aotearoa / New Zealand. Download a .pdf of the newssheet at http://www.awsm.org.nz/solidarity/issue1.pdf or read the text of the articles below.

The Parachute Festival, the southern hemisphere's largest four day music festival was held at Mystery Creek over Auckland Anniversary weekend. Two Indymedia journalists were in attendance, to bring you this exclusive expose on the happenings there-within.

The festival has a stated commitment to social justice and care for the earth which caught our attention. Equally attention-grabbing is the fact that they continue to accept the community destroying Coca-Cola company as their major sponsor.

This report looks at the event's recycling project, festival fashion, sponsorship, police involvement and even the music. Enjoy.

Links: Killer Coke | India Resource | Coca-Cola: The alternative report

Gaza Relief Fundraiser Gig—6 FEB—
The Adelaide 8:30 pm
In the spirit of struggle and resistance
Wellington Palestine Group

Friday February 6, Waitangi Day, at The Adelaide, Adelaide Road

Door opens 8.30

Entry Minimum $5 - Maximum Personal choice

- In the spirit of Struggle and Resistance -

FUNDRAISER SHOW. ALL funds raised from this event go to the Wellington Palestine Group to help support the people of Gaza - brutalised after the most recent Israeli offensive murdering civilians, men, women, and children.

Alas, the Freedom Shop has recently moved out of Shop 204b, Left bank, Cuba Mall, Wellington. The shop is New Zealand's longest running anarchist bookshop, having been set up in 1995.

But it isn't the end for the Freedom Shop. The collective that runs the shop is currently deciding on a new location, but in the meantime we will be selling our wares at festivals and events around Wellington, including: Waitangi Day 6 Feb at Waitangi Park, the Island Bay Festival at Shorland Park on 15 Feb, and the Newtown Festival on March 8. So come along and check us out! We might be seen at some other events too.

A forum on the new 90-day legislation, the National-led government’s Xmas present to workers, is being held on Wednesday, February 4 at the WEA (Workers Educational Association) building, 59 Gloucester St, Christchurch, starting at 7pm.

Speakers include Andrew Mckenzie (Alliance; and a lawyer specialising in labour issues); Byron Clark (Workers Party; youth union activist); Fay Birch (cleaner and worker-advocate, specialising in personal grievance issues). Other union speakers have been invited.

The meeting is organised by the Workers Party and the Alliance Party.

Global Peace and Justice Auckland is supporting a rally and march organised by the New Zealand Tamil Community for next Wednesday 4th February.

The protest is make the public aware of the murderous attacks on Tamils by the Sri Lankan military in the past two weeks. This follows the Sri Lankan army fighting their way into Tamil areas in North-East Sri Lanka where they are trying to suppress the Tamil struggle for self-determination.

Links: Sri Lanka's Genocide of the Tamil Minority | Green Party NZ should act on Sri Lankan humanitarian disaster | Tamils Gagged, Gunned and Bombed | 10,000 Tamils Demonstrate in Paris | AIMC July 2008 Tamils Around the World Remember Black July

What 'intelligence' organisations such as the (SIS) or the Special Investigation Group (SIG) hate the most is publicity about their own activities. To the frustration of New Zealand's spies, their work - and their outrageous mess-ups - seem to get splattered across the country's major newspapers and broadcasted all over the 6pm news every other month. After Rob Gilchrist was outed as a paid informant for the SIG and Threat Assessment Unit (TAU) for around 10 years in December 2008, it is now the SIS' turn.

Several activists and groups, including the Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa, Marie Leadbeater (Indonesia Human Rights Committee), Keith Locke (Green Party MP and former member of Socialist Action League), Tim Shadbolt (now Mayor of Invercargill) and others have recently received their SIS file. What they found is quite astonishing.

Links: The CAFCA File: SIS spying on protest group for 25 years

On Friday 23 January, Halatau Naitoko - a 17 year old Pacific Island father - was shot in the chest by police who were in pursuit of an armed bag snatcher. The shooting took place on the North-Western motorway where the suspect attempted to switch get-away vehicles. Naitoko was driving a van, doing courier work.

Other articles: Bay of Plenty Times Editorial Calls for Police to be Charged | Motorway shooting officer 'should be tried' says Ross Meurant | The Motorway Shooting - How it Happened | Workers Party