Evicting Occupy Dunedin

20 comments on “Evicting Occupy Dunedin ”

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1. mickysavage 1

   2 November 2011 at 11:17 am

   This situation poses interesting legal issues.  The Octagon is a public space and ordinarily people should be allowed to be there and remain there, as long as they are not breaking any laws.

   I believe the police response is in part because they know it is not simple.

   I also think that the occupiers should have the right to remain.  After all they are exercising a number of very important rights and any attempted limitation is a threat to democratic principles. 
2. idlegus 2

   2 November 2011 at 11:22 am

   i popped down at 8 last night, just to watch really to see if anything was going to happen, saw david clark speak, a couple cop cars whizzed around with sirens on, curious to see how it all turns out.
3. JS 3

   2 November 2011 at 11:31 am

   From the photos it looks like there is still room for both the Occupy and other public events to take place in the Octagon. In Wellington the City Council and other groups have negotiated with the Occupy group to shift or make space for certain events such at the RWC parade. Seems it was all done democratically and amicably and the Occupiers even provided face painting for the crowds.
   But if there was forced eviction it could escalate and turn nasty and hundreds more people (like me) would come in and show active support for the Occupiers.
4. Afewknowthetruth 4

   2 November 2011 at 12:55 pm

   The problem is that city and district coucils (along with central government) are the guardians of the dyfunctional economic system which is wrecking everyone’s future.

   David Suzuki nails it! Corporations rule this planet and politicians are bought-and-paid-for lackeys of coporatations.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwxedZG21ZE
   Dr. David Suzuki – Message to The World_from Occupy Vancouver
   • AAMC 4.1

     2 November 2011 at 5:41 pm

     Thanks AFKTT!

     Pity we don;t have leader who can talk like that.
5. Mutante 5

   2 November 2011 at 1:06 pm

   I would have thought Pete George would be trolling the fuck out of this thread by now.

   Anyways, good on the powers that be in Dunedin for being reasonable on this one. A messy confrontation could have gotten really ugly in a small tightly packed space like that.
   • NickS 5.1

     2 November 2011 at 1:18 pm

     Heh, he might just have been the guy arrested last night in the Octagon 😀

     Edit: though it’s also possible he’s down there right now trying to get them to give into the hair piece of Dunne, leave and vote United Future this election with his “stunning” rhetorical skills
     • fmacskasy 5.1.1

       2 November 2011 at 1:50 pm

       I wonder who that idiot was?

       Anyway, the irony of this situation is that if the thug ends up in Court, it’ll be Strike 1 against him.

       Thank you, ACT, for helping put away violent reactionaries.
   • just saying 5.2

     2 November 2011 at 1:31 pm

     Last I saw he was getting a pounding at the Dimpost.
     • NickS 5.2.1

       2 November 2011 at 4:14 pm

       Heh, that he is…
6. Bob 6

   2 November 2011 at 1:54 pm

   I suppose Pete cant be everywhere at once ? He has to share himself around .
   I really hope that forced eviction is not the solution to people expressing their concerns about the dysfunctional system thats imposed .
   But then again if the powers that be want to light the touch paper just before the election ….
   • AAMC 6.1

     2 November 2011 at 5:43 pm

     It’s only made things grow in every confrontation in the States, perhaps it would wake a few sleepy hobbits here also…
7. Brett Dale 7

   2 November 2011 at 2:19 pm

   Are the protestors allowing other members of the public to use the park?
   • Draco T Bastard 7.1

     2 November 2011 at 2:32 pm

     Of course they are – wouldn’t be any point in the occupation if no one could see and interact with it.
8. Ieuan 8

   2 November 2011 at 2:35 pm

   I was in Dunedin yesterday and went to have a look at the protest.

   They are pretty much using all the public green space in the Octagon so I don’t think you can argue that others can also use it.

   Whereas I have some sympathy for their protest there has to come a time when they say ‘we’ve made our point now, it’s time to move on’.

   Maybe the whole point of the protest is to wait until police forcibly remove them under the glare of TV cameras, I think that would be unfortunate but not totally unexpected.
   • idlegus 8.1

     2 November 2011 at 3:12 pm

     i was in the octagon yesterday & theres plenty of space, all the steps are clear & that is where people sit to have their lunch etc…the camp is tidy & friendly. they should probably move on at some point, as their numbers will dwindle anway (i could be wrong), but when the call came last night over social media that they were to be evicted a bunch of people turned up (maybe 150?), including quakers, students & workers like myself (& even some drunk melbourne cup revellers joined the march too), im not sure i agree with the occupiers on everything but if theres going to be some head cracking by the cops i wanted to be there to witness & photograph it.
     • AAMC 8.1.1

       2 November 2011 at 5:45 pm

       They will have made their point when the system changes, that’s the point, it’s not a protest, it’s a process, it’s a beginning.

       I’m hoping those who are motivated to post on this and other blogs will be motivated to join the Nov 5th occupy actions around the country, it really needs to gather momentum, which means being bigger than the first.
       • DJL 8.1.1.1

         2 November 2011 at 8:15 pm

         I’m convinced it will get bigger as time passes and more people understand, its about all of us and our earth.
9. Afewknowthetruth 9

   3 November 2011 at 6:27 am

   DJL

   ‘I’m convinced it will get bigger as time passes and more people understand’

   The elites are doing their best to keep the various Ponzi schemes going:

   ‘Prime Minister David Cameron called today for tomorrow’s G20 summit to show a sense of “urgency” over the implementation of measures to resolve instability in the eurozone.

   The gathering in the French Riviera resort of Cannes is set to be dominated by the chaos unleashed by Greek prime minister George Papandreou’s announcement on Monday of a referendum on the eurozone rescue package for his country’s ailing economy.

   Mr Papandreou, who is coming under intense pressure to reverse his decision, is facing crisis talks this evening with French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel in Cannes.’

   However, no amount of hot air from politicians is going to alter the reality of Peak Oil bringing down the system over the next decade.
10. Pete George 10

    3 November 2011 at 6:48 am

    Nothing much changing except back to the same few.

    http://yourdunedin.org/2011/11/03/occupying-time/

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