February 7 (Part Toru)
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Continued from February 7 (Part Rua).
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With the main Party speakers finished, others from the rally had an opportunity to make their views known. It was open, transparent and democratic (take note, National Government),
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Madd Hatter spoke of the danger to the environment caused by fracking – including contamination of underground water-tables which has caused extensive pollution in the United States,
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And the thing is? She’s 100% right. Fracking uses toxic chemicals which contaminates water tables – water which people use for drinking, cooking, feeding to farm stock, etc. Doesn’t it strike governments as somewhat daft that we’re poisoning ourselves?
Hell, why not just cut out the middle-men (oil drilling companies) and issue every citizen with a litre of disulphides, benzene, xylenes, methane, and naphthalene to drink?
Meanwhile, the crowd listened, continuing to hold signs that expressed our collective disgust at what this shabby government was intending to foist upon us,
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And the media continued to record the event,
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The protest continued, making their point peacefully,
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A sentiment 99% of us would whole-heartedly agree with,
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Mana’s flag flew proudly in the chill breeze,
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The red and black Tino Rangatiratanga flag flew proudly as well. This flag is quickly becoming the de facto syymbol for the poor, the dis-possesed, and the alienated in our society. It is the flag of resistance that corporate interests and their political cronies do not want to see,
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Dawn Shapira came from Huntly specifically to join the Rally. She rode all the way on the back of a motorbike – and says that she felt it. (Her return trip will be done in better comfort, in a bus.) That’s dedication. That’s committment. And 80% of New Zealanders share her anger at John Key’s planned asset sales,
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Finally, the most important folk at this protest were not the politicians; nor the media; nor the organisers. Instead, the VIPs were the children – they are the ones who will inherit the society that we build (or sell off) for them. Will we leave them a mess, or success?
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Media reporting
- Radio NZ reported 30 to 40 people in their audio report, but increasing the number to 60 on their website. This is a somewhat conservative estimate, and I put the number somewhere around 100 to 150.
- TV3’s news item, though, was deplorable – with Dunan Garner referring to the protest rally as “rent a mob”. This description was not only offensive to those folk who attended – but contrasted sharply with a later news story on another protest rally in Kapiti, which was more respectful. The Kapiti protesters were not referred to as “rent a mob”. Not very professional, TV3. Lift your game, please.
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Great round up Frank! My friend and I were coming out of work for lunch and the March was going past and we joined it. So pissed off at the government at the moment, and worst of all the Māori Party (for me at least). You’ve captured us in a few of the photos too – I’ll have to let her know!!
Thanks, Jacque. I was desperately hoping I had the names and facts of my write-up correct. I seem to have got things right.
Interesting how you joined the march…
In 2004, I was standing in Lambton Quay, when the “Destiny Church” march went past. The sight of a hundred-plus men; black shirted; giving clenched fist salutes; and shouting hate-slogans prompted me to join a counter-protest march. It brought back memories of stories my grandmother told me of her imprisonment by Nazis in Budapest, in WW2…
This march may have been small (due to bad weather, and quick organisation), but I think it is the first of many. And like the anti-Tour and anti-Vietnam War protests in the 1960s and 1970s, the anti-privatisation marches will grow in number and intensity.
As our American cuzzies put it, so poetically, “John Key has opened a whole big can of ‘whoop ass‘…”
Oh, and forgot to ask; which photos were you in, Jacque?
Hey I think I recognised one person in the crowd!