kia ora koutou...

great they could not meet at Te Papa! the Duxton is not really a 'secret' location, though. :)

kia kaha!

greetings from Berlin,

It was a secret that it was the venue for the conference.

This evening's demo has been cancelled due to the weather.

What's with the burqa?

img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0710/02262732729576515382.jpeg

it's not a burqa and it's to remind people about those who are being tortured and killed in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine by weapons and military systems being promoted and sold at the conference inside.

Hmm ok, looks like a burqa to me ..

I am all for the demo and all, but you are dressed in something closely resembling the most powerful symbol of islamic fundamentalism. So instead of reminding people* of torture you are reminding them of suicide bombers, oppression of women etc etc.

*Bob and Jane, who get their info from the Sunday Star Times..

I don't see a suicide bomber or an islamic radical. I see someone like me who happens to dress differently. if you think of radical islam and violence when you see people dressed that way then you are a victim of the media's misreporting on palestine, iraq etc., I see an average person. maybe you should stop reading the sunday star times which maintains a manipulated and unrealistic association with fear when you see images of someone a little different from you.

Well said. It is a fundamental right ,surely, to dress how one pleases. G forbid.

*I* prefer to wear a disguise or else you'l be picked off like a fly.I mite remind some of the more democratic of you that human rights are being eroded all the time and we must be vigilant on holding on to them. I have no beef with Islam. It is the fundamental right of peoples to believe in their own god /religion. BASICS.

Well these are two poorly thought out comments. Hmm.

1. Of course it is fine to dress how you please. I was mearly pointing out the confusing symbolism that the "average nzer" would take from this. Dress as a fucking sea turtle if you want, it will be just as unhelpful (kids might like it I guess..)

2. There are disguises and there are disguises. This is not part of the question. I generally go to most actions as plain and covered as possible.

3. I don't read the Sunday Star Times, I can't even get this paper where I live (hint: really really far away). I really wish, that as soon as one makes a (constructively) critical remark on Indymedia, that people wouldn't pop up with wild assumptions about who they are, or what they do (or don't..).

4. Where I live, in my (old) neighbourhood, women get beaten up for refusing to wear head scarves. Maybe you can talk to them about how they feel about 'dressing differently'. And no, I am not calling for a ban on Islamic dress .. but to simplify it into a fight between poor oppressed muslims and the state/media/everyday-racists plays directly into the hands of the patriarchy.

"It is a fundamental right ,surely, to dress how one pleases".
Of course, but that's hardly the point. We're not talking about what someone wears on the way to the grocery shop. This was on a political protest after all, an occasion at which you *want* everything you do to be seen as a political act. If i wear a black hoody and a balaclava to a demo then that means that i identify with a certain political group and their agenda. If i wear a clown costume it also has a political meaning. So wearing a burqa can justifiably seen as identifying with a political agenda that is associated with islam.

People have the right to dress how they wish. If that means covering up then so be it. And I do agree that Bob and Janes comments were a little off track...that 'Sunday pullout' that comes with the SST is really REALLY shallow. All these so called 'celebs' try and be funny but really,well, their advertising and ho-hum humour is a pit of shame. Anyway if one wishes to cover up, so be it. If I want to dress as they do in Islam or India then so be it. I wouldn't want to look a porn star, like so many pathetic women aim to look like. I think we need to be proud of how we dress. Burqa's (not sure if Ive spelt that right) are really interesting. Sure there have been abuses by people who are covered towards women, but we would be silly to think that all people do that. Bob and Jane I think you are scared of facing new things. The conservative public is scared of new things isn't it, just look at the way they are treating the latest people who stand up for solid human rights and Tino Rangatiratanga.

Guy Fawkes lives!

Guy Fawkes lives!