Money for death the Arms Trade

“War is organised murder and nothing else” so said Harry Patch a world war one veteran.

The manufacturing arms makers turned up in NZ yet again to sell their evil products. Our Defence Force and Government welcomed them yet again. And yet again protesters were confronted by an overly aggressive style policing.

To attempt to give you an unbiased view I’ve used the Stuff report, but I was there and I felt so proud of our younger generation who are standing up to a generation of approved murderers who wear uniforms and drop death and destruction on thousands of civilians in our name.

We all know that wars are bad; there has never been a good one. The main sponsor and chief supporter of the so-call conference in Wellington was nuclear weapons and arms giant Lockheed Martin, Who just love nuclear sales…and are no doubt big supporters of the US use of mass-destruction weapons against almost anyone. With a President as nutty as Donald Trump we should all be worried.   

Here is the Stuff report:

Fourteen protesters have been arrested during fraught scenes outside a Wellington defence forum.

As busloads of delegates attempted to enter Westpac Stadium for the forum on Tuesday, a few hundred protesters blockaded the stadium entrances.

Among those detained and dragged away by police was a disabled man with a walking cane, who said he was protesting against prison operator Serco's involvement in the forum, dubbed a "weapons expo".

Among those detained and dragged away was a disabled man with a walking cane.

Ti Lamusse, from ‘People Against Prisons Aotearoa’, said the police treatment of the man was "massively over the top".

"It was brutal. He was telling them he was disabled. He was in pain – he was in agony."

As each bus load arrived, police blocked off the out-of-city lanes of Waterloo and Aotea Quay but, at one point, scuffling protesters and police broke into the still-open city-bound lanes and into traffic.

About 300 people blocked every entrance into the stadium in an attempt to stop the scheduled Defence, Industry & National Security Forum, which protesters have dubbed a "weapons expo".

Shortly after 11am, police managed to get some attendees inside, despite some protesters lying down in the middle of Aotea Quay.

When one bus load of delegates arrived, protesters surrounded it.  The bus mounted the pavement while police formed a human shield to create a walkway in. Subsequent bus loads followed suit, each time resulting in tense clashes between police and protesters.

A bus load of conference attendees managed to get past protesters with police help.

Earlier, the protesters said they had all but halted the expo, despite police intervention.

Protesters surrounded the stadium from about 6am, and blocked an entrance to the stadium with a sign saying "expelliarmus". 

Some hung many metres from pillars surrounding entrances to the stadium, blocking them with ties that, if cut, would have meant they fell to the ground. 

Protesters are claiming victory after blockading a so-called "weapons expo" at Westpac Stadium.

Others simply lay on the road whenever a new bus arrived. 

Wellington police operations manager Inspector Neil Banks said that, by 10.45am, five people had been arrested for obstructing a roadway.

By 5.30pm, 14 people had been arrested, with five released with pre-charge warnings.

Nine were freed on bail, to appear in court at a later date.  

"Police must balance the lawful right to protest against the public's right to go about their daily business without being disrupted by protest action," Banks said.

"We are disappointed that a number of protesters behaved in a way that created safety issues, disrupted traffic, and caused delays that inconvenienced the wider public."

He said police were aware of allegations made about police conduct and reminded "anyone with concerns that there are several avenues available to them if they wish to make a complaint".

The previous NZDIA expo in Wellington, in 2015, was marred by the mass arrest of protesters – most on trespassing charges, which were dropped earlier this year after a lengthy court battle with police.

Protest organiser Jessie Dennis said the arrests were "outrageous", and she expected all of the charges would be dropped. 

"These people are human rights defenders, and we should thank them for their work in making the world a safer and more peaceful place ... we will be supporting them through any court process whatever the outcome.

"The heavy-handed and violent action of the police in protecting and attempting to escort delegates inside was shameful."

CONTROVERSIAL FROM THE START

Last month, and after pressure from activists, Wellington Mayor Justin Lester agreed the controversial arms industry forum should not return to any Wellington City Council sites.

Lester said the expo, the main sponsor of which was nuclear weapons and arms giant Lockheed Martin, was "not an appropriate event for a civic venue". The council wanted to steer clear of any associated conflict.

The event could go ahead at Westpac Stadium, because it is not under the council's control.

Instead, the stadium is managed by the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust – a charitable trust jointly settled by the city council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/97788307/protesters-at-tuesdays-defence-forum-in-wellington-make-accusations-of-police-brutality

The youngest member of the protest give the bums up to the Wellington Arms Conference.

 

Maori Wards will PNCC take the big step

Will the old and ex-National Party Councillors see the light and bravely face the future and opt for Maori Wards.

Back in 2011 the following voted against Maori Wards: Jan Barnett, Susan Baty, Adrian Broad, Vaughan Dennison, Lew Findlay, Jim Jefferies, Pat Kelly and Ross Linklater: Those underlined were known Nat supporters, Adrian Broad and Lew Findlay always went with the winners and Pat Kelly sort of floated in the wind back then. Barnett, Kelly and Linklater have departed the scene so maybe the eight five vote against Maori Wards can be reversed, let’s hope so.

At the council meeting those speaking in favour spoke with passion and vigor and those speaking against well let’s say they spoke. Don Esslemont [of Part Maori fame] stated that he was speaking on behalf of “Hobsons Pledge’ but I doubt if that was really the case, I got the impression that he just loves to use ‘Don Brash’s name’…it gives him a sense of importance to name drop a failed leader of the National and Act Parties…Although this year Don E has turned to NZ First… and he must be really disappointed that the elderly Winston Peters appears to be back tracking on removing the Maori Seats.

Anyway the Manawatu Standard sent along its local government reporter and she faithfully reported what went on: Here is her bland report in full: I know that most people don’t bother to read the local paper these days, which is sad but understandable when one considers the right wing leanings of our overseas owned MSM…here is her report. 

“Submitter Tina Smith, a nurse and educator, encourages the Palmerston North City Council to guarantee Māori seats at the council table.

Almost two-thirds of the people who have made submissions about Māori seats on the Palmerston North City Council oppose the idea.

But at a public hearing on Monday, nine out of 12 speakers urged councillors to adopt the Māori ward proposal. 

Submitter Steph Hirst urges the Palmerston North City Council to introduce seats for Māori to guarantee their voice and perspective is heard.

Public Service Association organiser John Shennan said many of the submissions in favour represented large groups of people, and he urged the council to be "brave" and create Māori wards because it was "the right thing to do".

Submitters and supporters hear opinions about whether there should be Māori wards on the Palmerston North City Council.

One of the three speakers scheduled to talk in opposition withdrew, and opponent Selwyn Brown asked to be a late addition to the list after he saw the imbalance.

Brown said the timing of the Monday afternoon hearing was weighted against participation by people who had day jobs, as opposed to those who were paid to speak for their organisations.

He said councillors had no mandate to change the system under which they were elected.

He said the Māori voice was important, and he would like to see Māori on the council, but they should stand for election under the existing system.

A Māori submitter who was elected to Horizons Regional Council despite its lack of a Māori ward, Wiremu Te Awe Awe, urged the council to ensure Māori representation was guaranteed at its council table.

Speaking for Rangitāne o Manawatū, he said Māori and Pākehā had come a long way, especially in Palmerston North, in understanding and respecting each other.

"I encourage the council to be courageous and bold," he said.

Te Awe Awe said he was encouraged to hear many non-Māori speaking in favour of having Māori seats on the council.

Among them was retired MidCentral Health geriatrician Fred Hirst, who tabled extensive evidence about disparities between Māori and other New Zealanders in health and access to healthcare.

Māori born today had a life expectancy seven years less than other New Zealanders, they were more likely to be poor, to die from accidents and preventable illnesses, and to end up in hospital because they had not sought and received primary health services.

He said Māori were disproportionately living and dying in poverty.

Hirst said non-Māori, no matter how well-intentioned, could not effectively solve the problems.

"Māori representation and leadership is needed to assist the council to improve the living and working conditions of the most vulnerable and socio-economically deprived in our community."

Hirst dismissed assertions by Hobson's Pledge frontman Don Brash at a meeting in Palmerston North in July that Māori wards would be race-based discrimination as "insulting and disrespectful".

Hobson's Pledge was represented at the hearing by Don Esslemont, who also spoke in his personal capacity.

He said it was not moral to treat people differently based on their race.

Esslemont said it was good that historic and "deplorable" examples of discrimination against Māori were no longer tolerated in law.

But he said there was considerable resentment in the community against there being special rules and concessions for people who had Māori ancestry.

The council is expected to make its decision on whether to set up one or two Māori seats for the 2019 local body elections at its meeting on October 24^th

https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/96873381/vocal-third-speak-up-for-mori-council-seats  

Read more on this subject at: 

http://wheelerscornernz.blogspot.co.nz/2016/10/racist-bigots-strike-again.html

http://wheelerscornernz.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/are-maori-no-longer-indigenous-to-nz.html