October 15th Solidarity

‘The visit of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is an opportunity for the National government to drop the charges against the 18 defendants in the ‘Terror Raids’ case,’ said Peter Steiner, spokesperson for the October 15th Solidarity group.

"Howard Broad will be remembered for the raids on the homes of political activists across Aotearoa and for the invasion of Ruatoki on 15th October 2007" says spokesperson for the October 15th Solidarity group Peter Steiner.

The case against the 18 people arrested in the State Terror Raids of 15 October 2008 continues. On 8 & 9 the Court of Appeal heard an application filed by defendants in relation to the admissibility of evidence. Three Court of Appeal judges heard submissions from Rodney Harrison and Annette Sykes for the defendants. The details of this application are suppressed by court order, but needless to say, we hope to win. A judgment could be issued anytime within the next 3-6 months.

 

The case of the 18 defendants arrested in the nation-wide raids of 15 October 2007 is in the Court of Appeal in Wellington this week.

"The Crown is persisting in this case to encourage the climate of fear arising from 9/11 and pushed with Operation 8. Most sensible people in this country can see that these are politically motivated charges targeting political activists and aimed at silencing dissent" said Peter Steiner, a spokesperson for the Wellington October 15th Solidarity group.

“The October 15th Solidarity group is disgusted with John Key's solo
decision to deny the return of Te Urewera to Tuhoe, as was initially agreed
on for tomorrow's (Friday May 14th) now postponed signing of an Agreement in Principle.”

“Key's action betrays the trust of Tuhoe once again and reeks of pandering
to those voters who still retain racist attitudes toward Maori and Tuhoe.”

“If the Minister of Treaty Settlements, Chris Finlayson, truly believes in

*Auckland Protest March: Saturday April 24, 2pm, grassy area opposite the Town Hall, Queen Street.
*Wellington March and Picket: Saturday April 24, 12:30, meeting at corner of Manners Mall and Cuba St.

*The Search and Surveillance Bill, currently being debated by Parliament, is a massive threat to civil liberties in New Zealand. It grants the Police and
other state agencies vast new powers to monitor, search and detain individuals for minor and nonexistent infringements.

What’s all the fuss about the Search & Surveillance Bill?
Public meeting
8 April 2010 at 7pm
Old Government Building Lecture Theatre 2 (VUW Law School)
Chief justices, the privacy commissioner, Amnesty International, the
Council for Trade Unions and the Human Rights Commissioner have all come
out in opposition to the Search and Surveillance Bill saying it is a major
threat to human rights and a major attack on fundamental freedoms. This
bill is now before parliament and will be reported back on 1 May. Find out

A trial date of 8 August 2011 has today been set in the Auckland High Court for the 18 defendants arrested in raids under the Terrorism Suppression Act on 15th October 2007. Five defendants face a charge of ‘participation in a criminal group’ and all defendants face charges under the Arms Act.

The Search and Surveillance bill is currently considered by Parliament. This massive new law would substantially increase State powers to search, surveil people and places. It also allows expanded powers to set up roadblocks, like the one set up in Ruatoki on 15 October 2007. The law effectively removes the right to silence and allows for covert surveillance on private property. Members of the October 15th Solidarity crew in Wellington made submissions on the bill, and are undertaking a campaign to stop it.

The public came out in force to support those still facing charges from the state terror raids of 15th October 2007. An art auction in Wellington last night raised over $20,000.

“Thanks to the amazing artists who donated their work for the cause, and thanks to the hundreds of people who attended the Explosive Expression exhibition over the week, the issue of state repression of resistance is back under the spotlight in Aotearoa,” says October 15th Solidarity spokesperson Peter Steiner.