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Rape protesters deface high court

Wellington police will examine surveillance footage on Friday to find those responsible for an emotional display which damaged the high court building on Thursday night.

A march against rape and violence in the capital turned ugly, when a small group of masked protesters took to the court building with a can of spray paint. They sprayed slogans across the front doors, and damaged tiles with a burning effigy of a policeman.

It coincided with International Women's Day and another protest march in Auckland and a vigil in Christchurch.

Police are calling for angry protesters to practice what they preach.

Area Commander for the Wellington City Police, Inspector Peter Cowan, says the women acted hypocritically with their semi-violent display. He says police support the pleas for an end to violence and are disappointed by the women's actions.

Cowan says police will use CCTV footage to track the offenders.

Supporters of the march are demanding a change in the culture of what they label the biggest and best equipped gang in New Zealand.

Several hundred people marched through central city streets carrying placards slamming what they call a corrupt and violent police system and demanding justice for rape victims. They blockaded the Central Police Station, before marching down Lambton Quay to the high court.

Most want the police held accountable for what they claim is their role in victimising women.

An organiser of the march says the response has been bigger than she ever imagined.

Lenka Rochford says it shows the community is fed up with the justice system and its lack of support for rape victims.
She says it was overwhelming and emotional to hear one rape victim tell her story on the steps of the police station.

Rochford hopes all the people who have experienced rape or sexual violence hear the voices of support from the march.

While in Auckland about 250 men and women of varying ages peacefully marched down Queen Street on Thursday to defend rape victims' rights, and demand changes to sex trials. They renewed calls for changes to New Zealand's suppression laws.

Many were angered at the suppression orders placed on former officers Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum's previous rape convictions in the latest police trial.

One woman covered herself in a black veil and refused to give her name to symbolise the ridiculousness of the suppression orders. She is calling for a clean justice system with police we can rely on.

Leonie Morris from the Auckland Women's Centre says the present justice system is completely unfair for women.

She says the whole system needs to be changed from an adversarial system to an investigation into the truth of what really happened.

Morris says it is the victim who is put on trial rather than the alleged offender.

In Christchurch about 10 women turned up for a candlelight Justice for Rape Survivors vigil in Cathedral Square and signed a card that will be sent to the complainants involved in the police rape trials.

Organiser Jo Paine says the card thanks the women for their courage, describing them as brave, strong and truthful. It says they were not given justice through the court system, but they did all they could. It finishes by saying the women will be an inspiration for many lives.

Prevention education

Meantime, a programme run by Rape Prevention Education for secondary school students has shown 82% would change the way they think or act in a high risk situation.

The Bodysafe programme is run in Auckland schools to teach students about the law and their rights.

Manager Veronica Marwitz says many young people do not believe they have the right to decide how their body is treated by other people before they go on the course. She says a big part of the programme is letting people know that what happens to their body should be in their control.

Marwitz says it would be nice to have some government funding so they could reach more young people.

A protest march in Wellington tonight ended with an effigy of a police officer being set alight outside the front doors of the High Court.

A few hundred woman and men marched on National Women's Day to protest the acquittals of police officers Bob Schollum, Brad Shipton and Clint Rickards of historic sex charges last week, and last year in the Louise Nicholas trial.

In Auckland, traffic came to a standstill as a police escort led more than 250 people in an anti-rape march down Queen St.

Many of them carried banners calling for suspended Assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards to be sacked.. Rickards and former police officers Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum were acquitted last week of charges of kidnapping and indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl more than 20 years ago.

The trio were also acquitted last year of historic sex charges against Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas.

Tonight's International Women's Day march kicked off with a rally at Aotea Square.

Auckland Women's Centre spokeswoman Leonie Morris called for a full investigation into the justice system.

"Why do so few rape victims use the justice system" she asked.

"The laws must change if we are to change sexual violence."

Ms Nicholas sent a message of thanks to those on the march.

"If we all stick together we will get the changes we want," she said.

But she stressed that the march was not a protest against police, many of whom were just as frustrated as she with a system that allowed sex offenders to walk free.

She also reminded the group that is was the police who asked the complainant in last week's rape trial to come forward and testify against the three men.

Former MP and women's advocate Laila Harre that while those accused of serious crimes had a right to justice and to be heard, the victims in the rape cases had not withdrawn their accusations.

"And those accusations still stand," she said.

"This was an abuse of power and it has to stop," she said.

But the women's messages were backgrounded by calls from men's lobby group Union of Fathers, who drove back and forwards past the rally heckling over the loud speaker and calling for 10-year jail sentences for those who made false claims of rape.

As the crowd marched down Queen St, police formed an escort, holding back traffic, including public buses, to allow the marchers to carry their message the length of the city.

Earlier plans to march on Auckland Central Police Station were canned because some women felt they would not be safe, organisers said.

The march as hijacked by the Liberals.

I have to completely agree with this, the Auckland march could have been a lot more powerful (instead of the standard issue march that is used for any and every issue) had it not been for the liberal minority that tried, and succeeded, in controlling the organising collective for this march.

Love and respect to the Wellington crew for doing something with meaning and passion.

It was hijacked by certain "respectable" community organisations who didn't want their contracts with the police endangered. And one young man from the Green Party who didn't seem to understand that it was International WOMEN'S Day.

re..christchurch/Otautahi Vigil, just as aside, I wasn't the organiser for the vigil, this was organised by Otautahi A-fems (who I'm a member of!)
I hope that men will be understanding as to why we organised a womyns only event, we are wanting to build solidarity amongst women at the moment and to reflect on International Womyns Day and Thursdays in Black and how we can grow this movement, which we are hoping will also include men.
Its really amazing to see what happened in Wellington and Auckland..You courageous wahine rock, and are great inspiration.
Also thanks for all the supportive and internally-strong men across Aotearoa.
Will post pics up later today.

as he completely dominated the march's politcs, cutting deals with Liberals and th ePolice to ensure that the majority of marchers who were angry and wanted to go to Rickards Central police station were sold out. Shame on you.

and Max was his name-oh!

may i suggest and advocate that since the police station that Rickards is wanting to return to is on out doorstep here in Auckland that we do stage an action outside it - especially if Rickards does - by some act of a miracle - get to return to work. Regardless of this i think an action outside the cop shop is a good idea

I think the organisers did a great job of the Auckland event. I personally was glad it was a 'peaceful' event' I am extremely angry at the cops for what they did and the system for allowing womyn to remain voiceless within it, however i found the violence displayed in Wellington quiet disturbing. It would have been good to march to the 'pig's sty' but from what i saw the organisers were mostly from Radical Youth and these young womyn did a great job.

we originally wanted to go to the police station however we were not allowed to because of certain liberals cutting deals (as someone put it earlier)

I wonder, what deals were made with the police ? who gave certain "liberals" the power to not permit something that was being organised by Radical Youth in the first place..

Are we afraid to be angry? I thought the tone comeing from some of the speakers was
was too weak...
The Rape Prevention Education Centre (whilst doing some very good work) seems to lack the radical lustre (and radical feminist analysis)of the Rape Crisis Centre of earlier days.


Because many of these organisations rely on government funding and donations from businesses, I think that they are afraid to speak out too strongly against the system...
But they are also trying sincerely to improve the system, and to work out some solutions with some good members of the police force,
and there is always a dilemma between trying to get the best out of our laws or justice system, yet recognising too that these laws are ultimately designed to keep the status quo and protect the rich and the poweful, and the patriarchal capitalist system..

Of course we need legal reform and
if clarke's govt is on the verge of improving things thats good; BUT lets not forget what the primary role of the police is.. to protect the capitalist patriarchal state..

Enforcing a system of Power Over and domination (our society) ultimately requires brute force (the police force) and who better to do this than brutal male cops with their rape culture?

I thought Jane Kelsey was one of the better speakers, with some real anger coming out, and with an understanding of the larger oppressive forces,together with the need for some legal reform as well.

violence in wellington? the only people who were violent at the demo in wellington were the cops outside the police station! it was them who pushed people down those steps. the police force is violent, the patriarchy is violent, the capitalist system is violent. Property damage is not violence - and the opporessed will always have to use violence to fight the oppressors. wake up!

Yeah all you who decry violence, perhaps you should say that to your grandparents who fought in the World Wars or children in Palestine who fight back when war comes to them.
There is a difference between violence to attack and oppress and violence to defend yourself and community.
Just because you're not getting hurt yourself does not mean you have the right to stop others defending themselves when they are hurt.

What are you so scared of? Why the control?

Yeah - better to die on your feet than live on your knees like most kiwis (including the anti-violence critic) do.

In reply to all of you anonymous people: I helped organise the march in Auckland and feel incredibly proud of the way the march went. For those of you calling me a "liberal" I totally disagree with your revolutionary analysis. I don't think taking a group of people the majority of who have never been on a protest, old people and children for a rark up with the police is furthering the revolutionary cause. I think and I have seen and experienced this done badly many times it frustrates, disempowers and alienates people. Take back the night last time in Auckland was an example of this. It was completely irresponsibly organised and I was very upset at being pushed around by the police and didn't feel anything but disempowerment and fear of the police. I was very glad I didn’t bring any of my non-political friends and family on that march as I did on this one. If you think the revolution will come from people yelling at police I think you’re dreaming. I think people marching down the road with 500 other people pretty much unaccompanied by police with female marshals and not being brutalised by the police brings people back next time and teaches people the very important lesson that comes with your first experience of taking over the street unaccompanied by police in mass action, that on mass you have power. Let’s walk before we run. About selling out to the "organisations" they were rape crises, Auckland Sexual Abuse help and prevention of violence in homes all legitimate women’s organisations that work with rape survivors every single day and represent 10,000 women. These were the organisations who the "dictatorial young man from the greens" dared to include in the decision making process. Another reason we didn't want to go to the police station was because these "sell out" organisations think we save going to the police station for if Rickards gets his job back. We consulted several of the other committee members about the decision not to go to the police station and they agreed. The young man from the greens is my partner and I feel nothing but pride at the way he conducted himself over this whole thing he consulted the group we are in Radical youth, made sure the three organisations were included and came up with the slogan “Justice for rape survivors kia kaha e nga wahine”. He also did the majority of the leg work for the march. So yes I agree he should be named, as an exemplary man. One who dares to take part in the true meaning of international women’s day. Working class people organising every March the 8th in particular about issues effecting working class women. The rape and oppression of women will never stop unless men and women actively work together in there personal and political lives every day to raise consciousness and never accept this oppressive culture. We do this everyday. Those of you who are trying to run a malicious shaming campaign of “the young greens man" should be ashamed of yourselves. Those of you who have a problem with anything I've said or done I am more than happy to talk to you face to face. - 027 341 6893 is my number. I personally think indymedia is not the correct forum to have these arguments. This is why I next to never comment but as I had such a prevalent role in this one I thought I would. If you have any interest in continuing this conversation in a constructive way I’ll here from you soon.

By Meto Fox

Well first of all this should read "Women and Men March Against Rape Culture", but theres some great photos here, so thanks.

I want to make some general comments on the feminist movement in Aotearoa that tie back to what happened on Thursday.

I for one am happy a certain young man from the greens was included in organising the march, cause these issues affect the entire community. Excluding men from participation in building an anti-patriachy movement would be like excluding Pakeha from taking part in anti-racism work, or excluding straight people from organising against homophobia, or excluding students for organising against working-class exploition- in short-utterly ridiculous.

Secondly, the march in Auckland wasn't hijacked by liberals, but while I respect their decisions,the anarchic feminists and communist feminists on this march showed that they are sympathetic to liberal, reformist tendencies-We had nothing to lose by marching to the police station.

You bunch of losers. I was in Queen Street and received a poster entitled Woman who Raged against Opression. It had a list of woman who were all entitled to be on it. Not one New Zealander, where was Kate Shepherd, Helen Ryburn etc. Your really interested in new Zealand womans rights. I wont attend another one!!

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