G8 - Protests in Scotland and Aotearoa
50 people showed up for a protest against the G8, Free Trade and Climate Change in Wellington. [ Report ] The proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China was auctioned off on Lambton Quay. Bidders traded workers rights, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Democracy, Biodiversity and FUN for the FTA in return. A teach-in, film night and community dinner were also well attended.
Auckland saw up to a hundred people gather in a Carnival Against Capitalism which included chalking, Food Not Bombs and speakers. Leaflets were handed out and well recieved, and some ACT Party members turned up with "Enjoy Capitalism" t-shirts providing comic relief.
In Christchurch people gathered at Bedford row on Saturday to participate in 'the dance of dissent'. A street was occupied, a tripod set up, music was running and Food not Bombs seved free food [Photos].
In Scotland activists protested all week. On Saturday, the 'Make Property History' bloc off the 225'000 strong 'Make Poverty History' march clashed with police. The Carnival for Full Enjoyment travelled around the streets of Edinburgh on Monday 4th, involving a cast of G8 Summit protesters, clowns, police and local people. The same day, Faslane, a nuclear submarine base, was blockaded by 2000 activists.
On the first day of the summit, protesters blocked all roads to Gleneagles. 10'000 people were on a protest in Auchterader. The permieter fence to the Gleneagles hotel was dismantled.
Many arrests were made throughout the week. The legal support team estimate that at least 700 people were arrested and 350 charged. According to BBC some New Zealanders were among the ones arrested. [ Report from H. Plant ]
Update: A New Zealand medic was arrested on the 4th of July at the Carnival for Full Enjoyment and later forced to leave Scotland [Report].
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Comments
Re: G8 - Protests in Scotland and Aotearoa
account of NZ'er arrested at Carnival of Full Enjoyment:
http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/36105/index.php
Re: G8 - Protests in Scotland and Aotearoa
New Zealanders arrested in Scotland, protests in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Seems we really are everywhere. How can I sign up for the worldwide fight against globalisation?
Re: G8 - Protests in Scotland and Aotearoa
Who are the real terrorists?
Why is the action of one individual is socially attached to the people he associates with whether it be family, culture, nation?
You know when one person or team pulls out of a competition for some undisclosed reasons; there is always that silent support for a cause. These cautious actions which are usually motivated underground are individual contributions towards an identified common cause. It is a conscious phenomenon and not a planned contingent as most are led to believe. The so-called terrorists groups do not exist as such. Acts of terrorism are committed by individuals who identify with a cause; are informed and aspired by the events of the day commit these actions on their own will.
The authorities in desperation to calm public upheaval work rapidly to identify a culprit. Place under enormous pressure, anything could happen; politicians rush to pass draconian policies, and harsh actions in the face of Human Rights.
I still ask the question; who benefits from acts of terrorism? The consequence follows a coercive organisation of conscious awareness away from their natural coherence.
If blasting oneself to pieces by a bomb explosion achieves the same coercive organisation of conscious awareness as rounding up the sheep, then the crucial point of telling is the place where the act of terrorism is occurring. The landmarks to a national history may deliver a rebellious message against the government of the day or the regime in place, while a blast in a public place may indicate a personal message to a particular popular politician or authority.
Or, would you accept money for your life to secure the future of your family? In a desperate world of brutal capitalism, would you be tempted to sell parts of your body, and even your conscience?
Terrorists can be just as much as the authority and politicians as extreme political activists. It is a social phenomenon, and not an organized contingent. It is different from militia individuals who stand to resist a foreign invasion to protect their homes, their families, culture, and land.
Why would anyone want to divide the social conscience of organisation? To motivate hatred, to mark differences, status, power?