March against the budget cuts

Written By: - Date published: 11:50 am, May 27th, 2011 - 66 comments
Categories: activism, budget 2011, class war - Tags:

A new organisation, the Coalition for Social Justice, is calling for a march in Auckland tomorrow:

Coalition For Social Justice

Press Release: Coalition For Social Justice
PRESS STATEMENT.

A new group has been formed called the Coalition for Social Justice. Its aim is to organise concerns around the governments Budget proposals and their implications for ordinary New Zealanders.

Spokesperson Meredydd Barrar says, “cuts to working for families, Kiwi Saver and student loans and general austerity measures are not working in the interests of the majority of kiwis who are struggling to make ends meet.”

The Coalition is made up of members of community groups, people from religious organisations and unions. Our aim is to promote social justice. We are organising a MOBILISATION of ordinary Kiwis on SATURDAY 28TH MAY 12pm QE2 Square, bottom of Queen st, Auckland City. Also more action as the election campaign develops.

New Zealanders are angry about GST, milk prices and secret Trade deals, cuts to Early Childhood education and privatisation of electricity and asset sales..

Meredydd Barrar, spokesperson says, “Enough is enough. Recent government announcements about cuts and a Budget that will certainly condemn the majority of New Zealanders to relative poverty is not acceptable. Children and struggling families as well as students looking to further their higher education will be penalised”.

There is a latent anger in New Zealand at the moment. We aim to translate it into action. Policies of cut backs and austerity measures will increase the gap between rich and poor which is already the 6th highest in the OECD. We believe this is unacceptable and uncivilised.

New Zealanders deserve better than an economic philosophy that only seems to make bankers, corporates and speculators richer.

The Herald reports on the Coalition, including (apparently) threats of civil disobedience, which seems to have caused some splits within the new organisation.

66 comments on “March against the budget cuts ”

  1. Chris 1

    Hear hear kia taha

  2. How about getting a new protest picture, your like Faux news, using protest footage that is not even from the same protest.

    • Zorr 2.1

      Fox News posts images from different protests to inflate numbers and create false impressions…

      When a protest hasn’t even happened yet it is a bit impossible to post images from it. They haven’t claimed they have a time machine that takes them in to the future to be able to post images from the protest that hasn’t happened yet… but maybe they should just to conform to your moronic world view.

      • Brett Dale 2.1.1

        But you guys do have a happen of been manipulative, there was a protest about six months ago, and you guys originally had a pic which showed a guy screaming holding a banner, at the bottom of his banner it had the words “Socialist Aotearoa”

        About an hour later this site had edited the picture so you couldnt see the writing on his banner.

        I’m guessing the mods here, did this to create an impression that the protesters weren’t from a political group/party, but just members of the public.

        • lprent 2.1.1.1

          We are slowly building a pile of stock images because of the need to have an image for every post. My guess is that you saw one being created.

          Can’t you just feel the privilege* of watching the creativity in progress?

          * I would point out that in addition to my own creative coding, I also have to embrace Lyn’s creativity in film-making and film distribution which largely gets done at home. In my opinion creative people should be kept away from everyone else at all points in time. The only thing that is worse are the critics – like Brett…

    • r0b 2.2

      Yeah sorry Brett. I tried to requisition the time machine to get photos of tomorrow’s protest, but Lynn already had it booked to go drinking with Galileo.

      • Blighty 2.2.1

        r0b. When Lynn gets back you can take the time machine to before he has will have booked it for himself and book it for yourself. Then he will isn’t has not taken it.

        the joys of time travel grammar

        • r0b 2.2.1.1

          I bow to your temporosyntactic virtuosity! But I think the resulting paradox might cause the universe to implode. And I’m not quite done with the universe yet, so nah, all things considered, Brett will just have to remain frustrated.

      • Gus 2.2.2

        I don’t think think that Brett is for a moment suggesting that you should be able to publish a photo of the event, but rather quite reasonably suggesting that unless you’re prepared to footnote the image as an historical protest photo without any and direct involvement to this up coming one. Otherwise I think he is quite right to suggest that its an attempt to manipulate or mislead readers perceptions.

        • r0b 2.2.2.1

          You don’t think, just perhaps, just maybe, that readers might not, you know – work that out for themselves?

        • lprent 2.2.2.2

          Sounds like a bullshit argument to me. Stock images are often used for this type of article.

          But probably more importantly we are not a frigging news media site. Read the about – last section.

      • lprent 2.2.3

        Lynn already had it booked to go drinking with Galileo.

        Man – the booze was bad. Just shows you what hygienic conditions does to the flavour – improves it…

  3. Gus 3

    “New Zealanders are angry about GST, milk prices and secret Trade deals, cuts to Early Childhood education and privatisation of electricity and asset sales.”

    While a proportion of the population of may be angry about these issues clearly from the recent NZ Herald and Roy Morgan Polls a far greater number support the government and these actions.

    • aj 3.1

      Gus: – ….or don’t understand these issues. You’d be surprised the level of ignorance of facts and the trust in spin. Some people on average wages still think they got ‘north of $50’ from the tax cuts that Key promised last election and still think the recent tax switch was in their favour, they are pretty slow in adding the numbers for themselves.

  4. deemac 4

    it’s a shame that the organisers seem to have already alienated some groups that would otherwise attend by stupid loose-mouth comments. When will the far left learn that the idea of a demo is to maximise support to show how strong public feeling is, not to limit it to those of the true faith?

  5. PeteG 5

    The split reports are pertinent from the Herald article:

    Two Catholic organisations have pulled out of a post-Budget rally after other groups involved threatened to flour-bomb Rugby World Cup events.

    Both the Auckland Catholic Justice and Peace Commission and the Catholic social justice agency Caritas have withdrawn their support for tomorrow’s rally in Auckland.

    A sensible withdrawal. And Meredydd Barrar’s comments:

    Spokesman Meredydd Barrar of the newly formed Coalition for Social Justice said the groups also “intend to take action during the World Cup to alert the world that New Zealand is not as squeaky clean as people might perceive. We might have to flour-bomb Eden Park again,” he said.

    Apart from the stupidity of trying to talk up crap like that, you’d have to question what civil disobedience during the world cup would do for the left vote in the election. There could be a severe backlash, which would be unfair on Labour as they should be strongly against this sort of over-activism.

  6. Anthony 6

    Seems pretty last minute, hope they get some good numbers.

  7. Tombstone 7

    Best thing I have heard in what now seems like an eternity. It’s about time power was restored to the people where it rightfully belongs. I’m tired of being dictated to by bankers, corporates and self serving politicians. Government is there to serve the people, not the few and most certainly not their mates. It doesn’t seem to matter how much of our hard earned money is pumped back into the system nothing ever seems to improve. We just end up paying more and more and more and all the while our most wealthy seem to be getting richer and richer and richer – funny that. I’m from CHCH and wish you all the best with the march as I have no doubt many down here would as well. John Key needs to go and a clear message needs to be sent to all politicians that the people will not tolerate being railroaded into poverty by the greedy self serving elite. Go hard!

  8. Carol 8

    This sounds a little bit like a beat-up by NZ Herald, to me. The Voxy article linked in the original post up-thread said this:

    Two Catholic organisations who had been planning participation in tomorrow’s post-Budget rally in Auckland have withdrawn their support following a New Zealand Herald story about the civil disobedience intentions of some participants.

    Did the NZ Herald reporter go out and ask participants in organising the protest about the possibility of civil disobedience? I think so as several people commented on it. There was probably some loose talk by someone initially, but I think the NZH is stirring a bit here.

    It does mean, though, that protesters need to be careful what they say to journos, and not just ramble on with some idle speculation.

    But as for the groups that pulled out of the rally on the basis of an NZ Herald article….. huh? If you work in coalitions, you need to accept some diversity of views, eg about tactics. All those groups needed to do was make it clear they are opposed to civil disobedience. It’s more important to focus on what the demo is opposed to, and on supporting the interests of those being screwed by this government.

  9. Not a rugby fan, but it will be political suicide for any political group to disrupt the rugby world cup.
    The country will never forgive them.

    • Carol 9.1

      One of the organisers at the demo said, over the loudspeaker, that the idea they wanted to disrupt or stop the RWC was a total fiction.

    • Jum 9.2

      Brett Dale,

      When a country’s people are more worried about the rugby game than the future of their children’s legacy, maybe it’s already too late for New Zealand.

      What the lying beat up did prove is that there is some worry from the NActMU government on the continuing determination by people in that group, showing more diversity and increasing in numbers, to remind New Zealanders what they will lose in assets and autonomy, fair wages and equality, taxes spent on education and health, etc., instead of rich men’s tax returns that they didn’t pay in the first place because of trusts and accountants, so the energy being expended on spreading lies now being perpetrated by the NAct-owned media is encouraging.

      Meanwhile, stop continuing the misleading spin about what protestors said.

  10. HC 10

    Meredydd Barrar was shown on TV One’s news last night, and he appeared to claim that it was certainly not their intention to flower bomb Eden Park. He only meant that he would understand the anger of some people going so far that they could even take such actions.

    It is all a bit of a stir up by the media, which likes stories about such crazy actions. For those catholic groups to pull out only shows how easily they are swayed by some news reports that obviously relied on someone talking a bit too loosely and carelessly about possible actions.

    Sadly many in the public fall for media hype, and that fact is not encouraging.

    This march that was planned for today has been poorly prepared and poorly announced. The first thing I heard about it through the already negative news stories.

    The Coalition For Social Justice better learn out of this and do better planning in future. Otherwise it will be just another group of activists that will preach to the converted and fade into insignificance.

    Sadly the consumerist conditioning and brainwashing of so many years is working, because most people will be out filling the malls rather than go on a March in Queen Street in Auckland.

    • Jum 10.1

      HC
      Then you follow them to the malls.

      • HC 10.1.1

        Shopping Malls are different kinds of “public spaces” when compared to Queen Street. Malls are privately owned and can more easily trespass and evict people than police or anybody else can take action against protestors marching up a street.

        Also will many shoppers have little time and sympathy, because they do not want to be “disturbed” while window shopping and doing real shopping.

        Information and better organisation are needed. The first thing I heard about the march was yesterday evening, when watching parts of One News. Hence it was too short term for me to prepare myself for attending this protest. Otherwise I would have gone.

        I ask: Was that march announed via this website, and where else was it announced?

        • Carol 10.1.1.1

          I saw it on Aotearoa Indymedia earlier this week

          http://www.indymedia.org.nz/event/79611/march-against-budget-2011

          I see it was also mentioned in a press release on Scoop on 18 May.

          http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1105/S00253/coalition-for-social-justice.htm\

          It’s a newly formed coalition. They were asking people to sign up for their email list at the demo.

        • Jum 10.1.1.2

          Well, no HC. You don’t go in there yelling ‘stand up fight back’ in the middle of the mall. You go in armed with petitions sheets, a table and chair and several people to talk to people who are interested but ensure that large signs showing what people are concerned about are displayed all around that table.

          How many malls in New Zealand?
          How many people willing to spend some time during the busiest period of the mall shopping day to be there for people to ask questions?

          It’s still a numbers game. 200 people that Carol quoted could cover quite a few malls around the Auckland area. The protest needs to be ongoing and needs to morph into whatever shape and in whatever space that allows all New Zealanders to be kept informed on issues the media has been shut down (willingly) on by NActMU.

          • Drakula 10.1.1.2.1

            I agree with you Jum , nothing wrong with good old fashioned pamphleteering furthermore each pamphlet will have e-mail and I-pod links with all the related organizations.

            Please keep a keen eye on the revolutions going on around the world because the agenda of Key’s government is very much a part of global imperialism!!

            There are huge demonstrations in Madrid at this present moment and they are on almost exactly the same issues as above.

            The Coalition for Social Justice maybe new at this game but they have made a couragious start and have my full support. We need to encourage them as much as possible and totally ignore the put downs that are perpetrated by the MSM.

            I mean who is this petty burgeoise Catholic group? Have they been for the working people or just giving us dope and false hope of justice in the hearafter? Yeh Right.

            I would say to such people ‘this is a global revolution; Not a fuckin tea party!!!’

            The best tactics are the most flexable, I suggest that the CSJ go into QE2 Square and pitch a tent and make todays protest an ongoing protest. That’s how the did it in Madrid Cairo and Paris and before you Know where you are there will be thousands.

            • Jum 10.1.1.2.1.1

              The tent idea is great; it becomes a regular feature and is manned hopefully by those who know the answers that people need to hear to make an informed decision when they go to the polls. We know that various people who have the ability to arrange this will read your message and hopefully agree that it is a good idea and do it.

          • HC 10.1.1.2.2

            Jum – Agreed, that is certainly possible. Why has nobody come up with that idea and actually done it? Maybe there is a lack of ideas and organisation at this stage. Organisations like Greenpeace do this all the time. So we can expect such pickets or info stands at Westfield very soon, can we? I am afraid that you will still need a permission from the Mall management. They do not really like politicing in their glass, plastic and concrete shopping temples, that is the problem I see.

            • Jum 10.1.1.2.2.1

              You’re right HC. You need the high flyer MPs who take in supporters on their walk around the mall meeting and greeting the people. The supporters will carry the messages the MPs want to make and the MPs will answer the questions on their party’s policies that the mall people will note from the signs – nothing big. The mall gets the VIPs. The left gets the message out. A picture paints a thousand words.
              MP sites can notify anyone who is interested in being at an event like this. They will not however support any individuals or groups who want to turn a Coalition into a 3-ring circus. That can only be bad for the left.

              The Coalition needs to remember that their message is an inclusive one. Theatrics should be kept for individuals, not coalitions; the media should not be hijacked for theatrics; we already know media are good at beatups and manipulating people who care passionately about their country into saying things they have no intention of doing, or even misleading readers by putting words in protestors’ mouths.

  11. Carol 11

    I went on the demo. There was a small attendance – a hundred or two I think. But the organisers responded by saying it was just a start, mainly attended by the core of some groups, who had networked on the march & were aiming to go out and mobilise more people. The march stopped regularly going up Queen Street, while someone at the front on a speaker gave mini speeches to the watching people on the footpaths, explaining what the march was about.

    Carmel Sepuloni gave a speech before the march, saying Labour MPs were with the demo in spirit,but were out in West Auckland streets today, campaigning on pretty much the same issues as the demo. Metiria Turei was there, and was interviewed in front of a camera. Sue Bradford, Catherine Delahunty, Penny Bright, John Minto, rep from prison officers union, Socialist Aotearoa guy & others gave speeches.

    The Socialist Aotearoa guy gave a rousing speech, linking demos in Tunisia, Egypt, Spain etc with a growing world wide movement. He was very critical of Labour & Goff for being out campaigning against Hone when they should have been joining with the demo coalition.

    I was disappointed more people didn’t attend, but hope more people will join in future. I’m glad I went, though.

    • HC 11.1

      Thanks for your informative post, and good on you for taking a stand.

      I just wonder whether the main media channels will at all report on the small protest.

      There will need to be more organisation and more people attending in future.

    • r0b 11.2

      Thanks Carol.

      • Carol 11.2.1

        Thanks, HC & r0b, but I didn’t do much today, just added to the numbers on the street.

        I see Stuff’s main page has a photo beside their link to the article on the demo. The bottom of the photo is cropped. The placard actually said Merchant w…. (rhymes with “banker”.

        http://static2.stuff.co.nz/1306559643/462/5069462.jpg

        And here is the link to the article:
        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5069330/Coalition-protests-tough-budget

        Hmmm…. 100 people weren’t all carrying the effigy….?

        I should also have mentioned some of the other speakers: a woman from the PPTA, a woman from an Early Childcare association (said the education allocations in the budget was not near enough to replace NAct’s previous cuts), a pediatrician (who said she’s appalled by the levels and extent of child poverty & related health problems she is seeing).

        The stuff article didn’t mention the Green MPs on the march – they had the biggest presence from any political party.

        • Jim Nald 11.2.1.1

          Effigy?

          Hmm … I am tempted to organise a bonfire in my backyard and people can bring effigies of RWNJs to be sacrificed on my winter pyre.

          • Drakula 11.2.1.1.1

            Jim; A brillient idea, but take all the effigies and bonfires to the centre of Auckland QE2 Square unless you are planning to invite 20,000 + people to your place!!!!!
            It could be a hell of a party – – a bit overkill ????

            • Jim Nald 11.2.1.1.1.1

              How about groups in the country organising, at a public square in every main city centre, a Johnfire bonfire ? 😛

  12. Jum 12

    The fact that Aucklanders stopped to listen and watch means that the march was a success. People are being notified that unless they do something their country will be John Key’s private business and he’ll be cutting costs, ladies and gents. It will be on their heads and their children’s debt profile.

    There are still several months to go.

    Every poster on The Standard e.g. that gives a damn about our country’s children and their children should have been on that march.

    How many people post on here? How many went to that march.

    Those saying they didn’t know, know now. Their excuse has just gone.

    • handle 12.1

      You are beyond naive if you think that street marching without organised publicity will have any real impact. Newsflash: it’s not the 1960s any more.

      • Jum 12.1.1

        Handle,

        When the media is owned by the NAct government, then alternative means need to be explored. What would you suggest? I’m assuming you are not a 1960s child, nor me. I know about cell phone use to summon large numbers of people to attend a place, at a time. It could be done here. The means is not the problem. You know that as well as I.

        New Zealanders are complacent; the 1930s is gone. Their greed is their glue to Key and Brash. When they do wake up, it will be too late. It will be 27 November and New Zealand will not belong to New Zealanders any more. I doubt it does now.

        This election at least can soften the landing for 90 % of Kiwis if they reject Key and vote to keep what’s left of their assets.

        Individually, all I have to do is work to get rid of this thieving, lying government. Essentially, your opinion matters little to me, unless you can offer advice on how to achieve that goal.

        So, I’m waiting, Handle.

        • handle 12.1.1.1

          Sound political strategy and community organising are well enough known and hardly need airing again here. Marching is seldom a good use of people’s precious time and energy without solid work first on communication and coordination. The anti-mining campaign and march was a good example. To win requires taking things seriously and treating voters with respect.

          • Jum 12.1.1.1.1

            So, Handle, I can count on you to start that off then…

            • handle 12.1.1.1.1.1

              It only needs existing organisations with resources, like the political parties of the left, to start doing their job properly again.

              • Jum

                Stop wally waffling Handle, what are You going to do to bring that organisation about? I am seeking your help.

                Oh, and by the way, I am one of those voters you stated should be treated ‘with respect’ so I sincerely hope you will treat me with some respect too as I am so desperately trying to do in your case.

                • handle

                  It doesn’t require setting up something new.

                  • Jum

                    Handle – a little play on words happening.

                    Organisation can be a verb as well as a noun. Read the sentence again: “Handle, what are You going to do to bring that organisation about?”

                    i.e. what are You going to do to bring that organisation (of people and resources) about?

                  • Drakula

                    I can’t quite get a handle on your true colours; so what the hell are your true colours?

                    • Jum

                      Drakula,

                      LOL

                      Just as soon as I get a ‘handle’ on Handle, Drakula, I’ll let you know.

                      PS I don’t like being told I’m being ‘naive’ when I suggest that there are many ways to win a battle and that not all the people of New Zealand respond to the same buttons.

                      Someone ‘told’ me that they fight their battle with quiet comments at the local dairy; others by yelling ‘STAND UP, FIGHT BACK’ in the main street of Auckland. Others will undermine their local rightwing MP by reminding his/her constituents on a daily basis that he betrayed them over the ‘supercity’ takeover, especially when there is a marginal seat win.

                      There are many ways to cut a key.

                      None of those ways should be ridiculed, nor should their messenger.

                    • Drakula

                      Jum I just wanted to know Handles true colours, not yours, yours are OK. My post was in the wrong order some how. Please don’t take offence.

                    • Jum

                      Drakula,

                      From PS onwards I was explaining that Handle had called me naive because I was suggesting alternative ways to campaign to reach all New Zealanders by methods they could understand. That was not directed towards you. It seems Handle has caused unnecessary stress to both of us and now he’s flown off his handle.

                      My apologies to you too, you lovely Drakula.

                    • handle

                      Replying to 11.21pm comment:

                      “..Handle had called me naive because I was suggesting alternative ways to campaign to reach all New Zealanders by methods they could understand”

                      What I actually said was: “You are beyond naive if you think that street marching without organised publicity will have any real impact.”
                      Jum, you will note the sentence has two parts. Do whatever you want, just do it properly.
                      I do not know what ‘colour’ that makes me but if expecting you to act competently causes you ‘stress’ then good luck seeing this fight through until November.
                       

          • Jum 12.1.1.1.2

            Handle said: “You are beyond naive if you think that street marching without organised publicity will have any real impact. Newsflash: it’s not the 1960s any more.”

            Then Handle said: “Jum, you will note the sentence has two parts. Do whatever you want, just do it properly.
            I do not know what ‘colour’ that makes me but if expecting you to act competently causes you ‘stress’ then good luck seeing this fight through until November.”

            You’ve broken that sentence into two parts; I will therefore inform you that you are wrong on both counts. One – I am not naive; I have not been naive since Roger Douglas, neoconservative, stole Labour and handed New Zealanders’ future to the business rotundtable of greed. Two – again I say there are many ways to get the word out. Of course more organised publicity will help faster; it is however not the only way. Money gets organised publicity faster but if money is short it has to be organised in other ways. Other ways, and we have several months left to increase that spreading of information, work too.

            The March numbers were up, even without the Catholic group. The watchers on the streets can be added – 75% of them will refuse asset selloffs. More advertising on Queen Street a few days before the march by interested individuals with copies of the March organisers’ reasons for Marching to hand out would also garner some more marchers and more watchers.

            I’ve been involved with posting on The Standard fighting both to get Key rejected in 2008 and to get him and his party out in 2011 and also to communicate in any way possible the damage each of his neo-pinochet policies are doing to New Zealand and New Zealanders. I recognised him as a danger to New Zealand in 2004 when I saw his photo and the write up on him in a magazine. I don’t remember your ‘handle’ on The Standard back in 2008 fighting to keep National in the cupboard where their neo-conservative Act policies belong (correct me if I’m wrong with some evidence please).

            So stress takes many forms. Your comments are comments anyone could have come up with; big words like ‘communication and coordination’ and ‘political strategy and community organising’ mean zilch. I have seen no detailed ideas from you on how to get rid of Key. Either you are just a blowhard or you are not supporting the move to get rid of Key.

            So, state Your credentials and how You will organise getting the message out or I shall simply write you off as a Crosby/Textor trying to manipulate posters who actually care about New Zealand’s future autonomy under a new Government that will not betray its voters by selling off assets it is only caretaker for, not owner of.

            • handle 12.1.1.1.2.1

              The public suffering at the hands of the neolibs deserve smarter people in their corner than those who think influencing a handful of folk on the street is enough.
              It’s a shame if those words are too ‘big’ for you. If you can not make sense of a basic proposition – that marching without proper publicity is naive – then there seems little point in responding further. Get over yourself.

              • Jum

                Handle, Finally, I have a handle on your reason for being on this site.

                Again, you have produced nothing of note, on how to get the message out on low funds. All you have done is bad mouth me.

                You must be a Crosby Textor bought and sold soldier here to manipulate.

                You are the weakest link – Goodbye.

                • Jum

                  Handle,

                  Surely, even a closed mind like yours can accept that all sorts of people are involved in supporting a better life than NAct promises. If I’m too dumb to do some things in that campaign there will be other people with more intelligence to carry that through.

                  So, once again, you have produced nothing of note, on how to get the message out on low funds.

                • handle

                  Yes, it’s all about you. I figure readers can make up their own minds about who is wasting their time.

                  • Jum

                    Handle, I hate to tell you this, but you and I are the only ones reading these posts. The company has moved on, but I’ll stay and play your silly game as long as it takes.

  13. Carol 13

    By the way. On the demo, one or two speakers were calling for a demo at a National Party meeting tomorrow – 10am – Waipuna Lodge Mt Wellington, I think.

    Penny Bright was one of the people who mentioned they were going. But I haven’t seen any other notification about it.

    I can’t go to it as I have urgent work to do tomorrow.

  14. Chris 14

    Another silly idea – just the suggestion of a link between disrupting the rugby world cup will just alientate 95% of NZ voters. Once the seed of disruption is in the publics mind it is too late to ‘distance’ ones self from it.

    • Jum 14.1

      Yes Chris and Brett Dale – you two little darlings are the very seeds of disruption of which you post.

      Just more tacky NAct tactics. Shame on you boys.

  15. Drakula 15

    I think that the situation her is not quite like the Springbok tour in the 80’s I don’t know whether flour bombing the the World Cup Rugby will achieve anything.

    They are not racist games as they were in the 80’s so protesters should identify with and not apart from the World Cup.

    Yes it’s important to protest at the events but a process of imaginative synthesis can be brought about from both the protesters and the football fans.

    • Drakula 15.1

      Oh I forgot about Israel damn it !!!!! They should be boycotted thats for sure!!!!!!

      Plus rents need to be frozen for hospitality workere too !!!!!!!

  16. millsy 16

    I say bring it on really. I think we are just about due for another big confrontation like in 1951 and 1981.

    The reality is that the world cup is going to see those in hospitality work long hours and go under a lot of pressure, and they arent going to see the benefits flow through to them in terms of higher wages, and the other reality is that rents are going to skyrocket, and there are going to be mass Highland clearance-style evictions from landlords looking to cash in.

    There are a lot of people going to be pissed, and I really am keen to see some good old protest and strike action during the world up.

    • Jum 16.1

      I would like the world to see that under this government people are being treated like serfs. I want any visitor to New Zealand to understand that the service workers who greet them as they travel around New Zealand, are treated like second class citizens in their own country; that New Zealand, the proud little country that held its head high against the biggest and richest places in the world, with a sense of pride, of health, of equality and of full bellies is no more and that a new Argentina-style regime is replacing NZ, run along the lines of Pinochet’s Chile.

  17. Drakula 17

    I was listening on the national radio today about the Madrid demonstration and take over of the city center and as I said before they are exactly the same issues as here. Benefit cuts, privatisation and austerity cuts to the public sector.

    The Standard and other left blogs would want to get as many people to those venues as possible and that requires the exploitation of the herd instinct and the notion that success leads to success.

    Visual impact is very important; huge crowds of Madrid should be shown often on this site with very excessively enthusiastic slogans: ‘If the Spanish people can strike for change in Madrid we can do the same in New Zealand for exactly the same reasons.’

    Believe it, there is a very real world revolution going on and the global coprporations are going to get their arses well and truely kicked in!!!!!!!

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