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LOCAL Commentary :: Police : Prisons : Protest Activity

Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

Over the last two weeks state forces in Auckland have attempted to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize" the protest activity occuring around the USNZ Partnership Forum and around Auckland in general. Intense surveillance and repression has been a common feature as well as the use of bail conditions to disrupt the expression of political opinions. The paragraph's below give a brief summary of some of the ways the police violated civil and human rights in an attempt to suppress and disrupt dissent.
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On Monday morning a Auckland Police Detective attempted to enter my home at 193a Symonds Street. He demanded that my friend open the door and repeatedly asked to speak to me. My friend refused and asked the Detective for a search warrant. None was given and the Detective left telling my friend, "We are going to lock Omar up".

On Monday afternoon at Princes Wharf I was arrested by police and charged with Obstruction. As I was being processed on Princes wharf the police attempted to make me sign my property sheet without putting the megaphone on it. One officer told me that there was no megaphone, though I was clearly arrested with one. After asking repeatedly for it the police brought it around from behind a car and put it on the property sheet.

After leaving Princes Wharf we were driven to Auckland Central Police Station where I was processed again by officer X180. He began by asking me where I was born. When I refused to tell him where I was born he told me to, "stop fucking around". I calmly pointed out that I had no legal right to offer anymore information than my name, address and DOB. At this point he told me he would rip my t-shirt off me. He then asked for the security cameras in the processing area to be turned off. The cop standing next to me looked away when I tried to make eye contact. X180 and another officer behind the counter told me to "play the game". I refused and X180 and the other officer took me to a bare cell, which did not have a toilet or a bed, to "cool off". I had offered no resistance nor aggression. I asked to consult a duty solicitor at this point and was told that I had to wait my turn. X180 and another officer X444 as well as other security guards repeatedly walked past my cell and I repeatedly asked to consult and instruct a duty solicitor without delay. I was ignored. At one point an officer with a an English accent told me "I'll get one of the boys to come and get that for you." I also asked X180 if i could use the toilet and he ignored me. I was forced to urinate twice between the crack between the cell-door and cell-floor. I was held in this cell for 6.5 hours. At one point the officer with an English accent came and told me that all I had to do to get bail was to answer the questions such as my ethnicity. I refused. I was eventually released at 7.30pm by officer X444. At no point had police allowed me my basic civil right to consult a lawyer. they offered no explanation for this. The megaphone was returned sans $70 of rechargable batteries.
 
 
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Re: Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

Omar - This is the dark side of policing,that most of us dont see/dont believe exists.

Short of recording everything on video somehow(without it being taken),how can we investigate anything like this,like involving the mainstream media?

What legal steps can you take now?(and at what expense!!)

Mike
 

Re: Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

the officer with the english accent was present at the mt eden action the time before. he is a friendlier police officer. a bit of good cop bad cop eh..?

sucks they stole the batteries.
 

Re: Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

Kia Ora Omar

This paints a picture of the deliberate repression of Anarchists on both sides of the Tasman. Our love and Solidarity are with you brother,stay strong we must be on to something aye if the state are attempting to clampdown on our human right to free speech and protest. people should remember that the nz poaka sent some poaka over to apec last week, so the poaka are working and sharing their mis information, and repression tactics. if there is any way our whanau can provide you with with tautoko, we are here.
Respect & Solidarity
Sina
 

Re: Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

So there we have it.

They rape without fear of reprisal, they steal without fear of punishment, and they are blatently racist at all times.

The most dangerous gang of terrorists in this country is the one with Blue suits and shoulder-board patches, not any of the "ethnic gangs" they claim to be policing.
It is a shame to our country that the importation of US policing protocols has sunk so low as this.

Get the American Embassy out of NZ policy, NOW.
 

Re: Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

White House Policy Illegally Silences Americans Critical of Bush

www.aclu.org/freespeech/protest/silenced.html
 

Re: Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

Sucks how you were treated Omar. But I would question why no mention of the people who were pepper sprayed over the weekend, no mention of the activist who was arrested for no reason, kept in the cells for over 24 hours and then released with no charge (and scratches and bruises for his troubles) and no mention of the number of activists who were hurt by the cops during the Monday protest.

Yeah, cops treated you like shit, no doubt. But you didn't get the worst of it, so I think its pretty silly that you act like you did. Not to mention the fact that you've only got yourself to blame for the incident you were arrested for.

By a conference (and protest) attendee
 

Re: Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

hmmm, i was thinking about writing a big long article about all the other shit incidents that happened throughout the weekend. i.e. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus the week before at court.

however, the paragraphs above are just my personal experiences of the stuff that happened to me on the Monday and should in no way be seen to be taking away from the shit (and the activist who was held over the weekend had it shit!!) experiences of others over the weekend! everyone has a story to tell, and on indymedia everyone has the chance to tell it!

im confused about the other comments though. i was in no way obstructing the police at all. the cops (acting on orders from their boss) just snatched me out of the crowd. how was that my fault?

if i wanted to write a full report on the repression over the weekend i obviously wouldn't have written it in the first person, all i wanted was to vent my personal frustrations at the way i was treated by the police.
 

Re: Monday: USNZ Partnership Forum Masks A Suspension of Civil Rights

Thats cool Omar, thanks for clearing that up.

As for the arrest, I won't say any more in such a public forum.
 

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