October 15th Solidarity - Remember the state terror raids

Rob Gilchrist is a Christchurch-based man has spied on activist groups for more than 10 years. He worked for the NZ Police and was sending information to Detective Peter Gilroy and Detective Sergeant John Sjoberg. They are both members of the Special Investigation Group (SIG). The SIG has groups in Auckland (headed by Aaron Lee Pascoe), Wellington (headed by Brian Woodcock) and Christchurch (where Gilroy and Sjoberg are based). This is the unit responsible for Operation 8.

The December edition of the October 15th Solidarity newsletter is now available as a pdf HERE

Articles include:

-'National's nightmare': the punitive new bail and parole measures are on the table before Christmas, and a new prison to boot

-Fire and flames against repression in Germany: the solidarity campaign for Axel, Florian and Oliver

-Terror in our midst? A personal review of the new book by Huia publishing

-Moana Jackson talks to health professionals about the impact of the raids on long term trauma

Political Anthropologist, Associate Professor Jeff Sluka, is coming to Wellington.

On Tuesday 2nd December Jeff Sluka will be the key speaker at public meeting discussing State terrorism during the 2007 ‘anti-terrorism’ raids in Rūātoki. This is the fifth in a series of meetings hosted by the October 15th Solidarity Group group.

By Jordan Pearson • November 17, 2008 @18:48 • 3,503 words •

Updated at 11:00am on 18 November 2008

* Lawyers for those accused after last year's nationwide police raids, say a trial will likely not happen until 2010 if the matter is transferred to the High Court.*

A short hearing has taken place at the High Court in Auckland, where the Crown has made an application to have the charges transferred from the District Court.

It is also seeking to lay new charges against some of the accused.

New T-shirts are available to support the people affected in the October 15th raids. Money raised goes to support (such as transport to court, accommodation in Auckland during court appearances, and food) as well as the on-going political work of the October 15th solidarity crew.

• Remember October 15th(with Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe flag) Shirts are $20 and available in S,M,L,XL,XXL

31 October 2008
Media Release: Global Peace and Justice Auckland

The police decision to lay charges of participating in a criminal gang against five of the Urewera arrestees is ludicrous. Having failed to brand these activists as terrorists the police now want to try to brand them as criminals.

The Crown has issued an indictment today against 18 people arrested in the police raids of October 15th 2007 in Ruatoki, Auckland, Hamilton, Whakatane, Palmerston North, Wellington and elsewhere.

Five of the 18 people have been charged with participation in a criminal gang under section 98A of the Crimes Act.

Over the mind-numbing 19 days of the deposition hearings vis-à-vis the arms charges against 18 individuals arising from the 15 October police raids, the observations of a former NZ Police “Red Squad’ sergeant articulated shortly after those hostile events repeatedly intruded. In the Global Peace & Justice Auckland newsletter [23-10-07], those views were summarized as follows:

The long depositions hearing for 18 of the the Operation 8 defendants has finally finished, with Judge Perkins today committing 17 of them to face trial.

1 of the arrestees, Rongomai Bailey, had all charges against him dropped. [ Video interview with Bailey from NZ Herald ]