Wellington protests against the Surveillance State (part tahi)
.
.
NZ, Wellington, 27 July – Between 3,000 to 5,000 people (not the “500” estimated by the Dominion Post, NZ Herald, and TV3) took part in a march in Wellington on a bright, warm Saturday afternoon.
People assembled in Cuba Mall near the Bucket fountain, and when we arrived there were already at least a thousand people in attendence.
This shot looks south; the crowd extends all the way to the Cuba Mall/Ghuznee Street intersection;
.
.
The rest of the crowd, looking northward, from my same vantage point (on the Bucket Fountain’s wall);
.
.
Cuba Mall was effectively packed with people who had joined the protest march. Only TV1 got the numbers right (see: Thousands of GCSB Bill protesters hit the streets)
There were people from all walks of life; all ages; all races; all demographics. Families like this one;
.
.
I was reliably informed that Rebecca’s tongue-poking was directed at Dear Leader, and not at myself. But one cannot be 100% certain…
Many of the signs carried messages on both sides, like Mick’s;
.
.
.
People’s messages were often witty and well thought out;
.
.
Other’s got straight to the point – stop stealing our human right to privacy;
.
.
.
Paul and Bev from the Ohariu electorate both expressed their disgust at Peter Dunne’s behaviour. Neither would be voting for him again, they both said;
.
.
Their signs had messages on both sides as well – typical ingenuity from New Zealander’s famed “no 8 fencing wire” can-do attitude;
.
.
Dunne must be either brave or foolish to be alienating his voters in this fashion.
Shortly after we arrived, the march took off, headed to Parliament. By this time, numbers had swelled and more people would join as the march moved along Wellington’s streets;
.
.
Politicians should take note – the protesters weren’t just radicals, activists, and suchlike – these were ordinary New Zealanders who rarely take to the streets.
What some placards lacked in political rhetoric and ideology, they more than made up in straight Kiwi talk;
.
.
And some folk have just had a gutsful of this increasingly autocratic government and want a chance to change things at the ballot box;
.
.
Many of the placards were obviously home-made, by ordinary citizens. Not exactly the “rent a mob” that Key and other Tories have claimed in the past, whenever they dismiss protest movements;
.
.
And some were downright creative in their style and message;
.
.
Home-made or pre-printed, the messages were crystal clear; people do not want the GCSB spying on us;
.
.
And some were pretty ‘earthy’ in their wording – but I think most fair minded folk can empathise with the passion behind the message;
.
.
More creativity;
.
.
Even businesspeople like Helen and Chelfyn were out on the street to protest. They found a simple, but novel way to spoof the threat of many eyes watching us,
.
.
To be continued: Wellington protests against the Surveillance State (part rua)
.
*
.
Copyright (c)Â Notice
All images are freely available to be used, with following provisos,
- Â Â Â Use must be for non-commercial purposes.
-    Where purpose of use is commercial, a donation to Child Poverty Action Group is requested.
- Â Â Â At all times, images must be used only in context, and not to denigrate individuals or groups.
- Â Â Â Acknowledgement of source is requested.
.
.
= fs =
Leave a comment Cancel reply
For a better New Zealand…
~ Cleaner rivers
~ No deep-sea oil drilling
~ Action on climate change
~ Less on Roads – more on Rail
~ A Living wage at $21.15/hr
~ Marriage equality – TICK!
~ Strong, effective Unions
~ No secret free-trade deals
~ Breakfast/lunches in our schools
~ Introducing Civics into our school curriculum
~ Cut back on the liquor industry
~ A fairer, progressive tax system
~ Fully funded, free healthcare
~ Ditto for education, including Tertiary
~ Fund Pharmac for Pompe’s Disease medication & other ‘orphan’ drugs
~ No state asset sales!
~ Rebuild public TV broadcasting!
~ Keeping farms in local ownership
~ Reduce poverty, like we reduced the toll for road-fatalities
~ State housing for life
~ Meaningful work for all who want it!
~ Stronger communities
~ LGBTQI inclusiveness. Trans rights are human rights
Recent Posts
- Business and Media pimp for dodgy covid test. Govt caves. Questions Remain.
- Purpose-built MIQ: National’s sums don’t add up
- The Virus, the Politician, and the gang member
- Open letter to Michael Barnett, Julie White, et al
- The Virus, the Bubble, and the Trap
- The Virus, the Media, and John Key
- One thousand dead New Zealanders per year?
- Submission on Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill
- The Microbiologist, the Caretaker Leader, and some Nasty Germs
- Free Speech, done Newshub-style
- Submission on Conversion Not-A-Therapy Bill
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 20 (@L3)
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 19 (@L3)
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 17 & 18 (@L3)
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 16 (@L3)
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 15 (@L3)
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 13 & 14
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 12
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 10 (cont’d) & 11
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 9 & 10
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 7 & 8
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 5 & 6
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 4 – Caretaker Leader Collins, another rare mis-step
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 3
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 2 – REVISED
- Life in lockdown, Round Two – Day 1
- Team 5 million vs Covid: Aotearoa on Three Strikes
- The freezing cold invisible hand of neo-liberalism
- National: Demand the Debate. Also National: No, not like that!
- The Shifting Faces of Simon Bridges
Crony Watch
Essential Viewing/Listening
International Orgs.
Media Links
Planet of the Blogs
- Boots Theory
- Bowalley Road
- Brooking Blog
- Cafe Pacific
- Closing the gap
- Fightback!
- Gordon Campbell
- How Melulater Sees It
- Imperator Fish
- John Pilger
- kiwi blog
- Kiwi Politico
- Liberation
- Local Bodies
- My Thinks
- Naked Capitalism
- No Right Turn
- NZ Leftwing
- Open Parachute
- PostingDad
- Public Address
- Pundit
- Putting NZ First
- The Civilian
- The Jackal
- The Knightly Views
- The Standard
- Watchblog Aotearoa
- Werewolf
Political Parties
Resources
- Action Stations
- BERL Economics
- Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
- Debt Clock – New Zealand
- Farm Land Grab
- FYI
- General Elections in NZ
- History Commons
- List of countries by tax revenue as percentage of GDP
- List of New Zealand by-elections
- N.A.S.A. – Climate Change
- Parliament TV – On Demand
- PolicyMic
- Referendums in NZ
- State Asset Sales History
- Tax rates around the world
- The New Zealand Government Directory
- Trading Economics – NZ Economic Data
- US Debt
- Wikipedia
Social Media Groups
- Action Stations
- Affordable Housing For All
- All New Zealand Media
- Anadarko eye
- Anadarko- Wish You Weren't Here!
- Aotearoa is not for sale – NZ
- Aotearoa is Not for Sale Wellington
- Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG)
- Children of Aotearoa
- Coal Action Network Aotearoa
- Community Campaign for Food in Schools – NZ
- DiscussioNZ
- Feed The Kids
- Forest & Bird
- GayNZ
- Generation Zero
- Hector's and Maui's dolphin SOS
- Housing NZ Tenants Forum
- Inside Child Poverty New Zealand
- It's Our Future – Kiwis concerned about the TPPA
- Keep Our Assets
- KidsCanNZ
- Kiwi Expats Against Asset Sales
- Lets Talk About WINZ (Work and Income New Zealand)
- National Standards Must Go
- New Zealand Pompe Network
- Nobody Likes a Tory – NZ
- NZers for a snap election 2012
- Occupy NZ
- Occupy WINZ
- Oil Free Wellington
- Palestine Human Rights Campaign (New Zealand)
- PolicyMic
- Pre-register your disinterest in buying Mighty River shares
- Revoke the GCSB Bill
- S.O.S Save.OUR.Shores
- Save Fiordland
- Save Otago from Deep Sea Oil Drilling! (OIL FREE OTAGO)
- Save our Schools – Christchurch Needs your Suppport !!!!!!
- Save The Basin Reserve
- Say No To Fracking In New Zealand
- Service and Food Workers Union – Nga Ringa Tota
- Stand up for kids – protect our schools
- Stop the Search and Surveillance Bill Now!
- Tax Justice Network
- Tibet Solidarity Network (Wellington, New Zealand)
- TPPA Action Group
- United Nations For a Free Tibet
- We Don't Need Your Charter Schools
Uber Cool Internetty Places
- All Out
- Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa
- Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly
- David Suzuki Foundation
- Flying Blind
- Friends of Tibet
- Greenpeace
- John Key Looks At Things
- John Pilger
- Kia Ora Gaza
- Kiwi Expats Against Asset Sales
- Living Wage Campaign
- NZ Fabian Society
- Richard Dawkins Foundation
- Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand
- Royal Society of New Zealand
- S.E.T.I.
- Save Our Schools NZ
- Save the Farms
- The Equality Trust
- The Virtual Museum of Bacteria
- Transparency.Org
- Voluntary Euthanasia Society
- Wikileaks
- Xkcd
Useful Utilities
Archives
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
Blog Stats
- 556,703 hits
“5 Eyes” .