Massive public outrage in North & South

Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, May 1st, 2010 - 124 comments
Categories: activism, democratic participation, Mining - Tags: , ,

Wow! An incredible 50,000 people have turned out in Auckland this May Day to protest the Government’s plan to open protected land to mining.

This eclipses even the Foreshore and Seabed hikoi and leaves ‘enough is enough’ in the shade. I can’t think of another demonstration in New Zealand history on this scale. If this isn’t the final nail in the coffin of the mining plan, then the Key Government has a serious death wish.

It shows the real depth of anger people are feeling. In many ways, the Nats’ mining plan is just the final insult, the final straw – on top of the Supercity, the do nothing approach to jobs and wages, rising crime, the Canterbury dictatorship, the corruption, the favours for the rich mates, and all the rest.

From the pics we can see a sea of people, flags of dozens of groups and thousands of ordinary Kiwis who have had enough and are drawing a line in the sand.

While I’m writing, let’s not forget the very impressive 500-strong protest against the imposition of dictatorship in Canterbury. That was a much bigger showing than I would have expected too. It only seems small today in comparison to Auckland! Getting 500 people out without the organisational capabilities of a union or groups like Greenpeace driving it is hugely impressive. It shows just how pissed the people of Canterbury are.

In the North and the South, this government is rapidly alienating the population. People might have voted for a smiling face and for ‘change’ but we didn’t vote for attacks on democracy and our natural treasures.

I think this pic that Phil Twyford has just put up on his Facebook sums it up beautifully:

124 comments on “Massive public outrage in North & South ”

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  1. Anthony C 1
    1 May 2010 at 1:47 pm

    We were part of the thousand or so meeting on Fort Street and had no idea how large the march was until the main group started to march up Queen street – an awesome turnout!

    Had to laugh at the 6 or so “pro mining” protesters with their own security guard.

    • lprent 1.1
      1 May 2010 at 2:17 pm

      Yeah, It was full from customs street to fort street as well. I started from customs street, and I was astonished when I saw another ruddy great big group still pouring out of fort street when we finally got up to there.

    • lili2003 1.2
      1 May 2010 at 6:25 pm

      Weren’t they doing a “Yes Men” ironic thing?

  2. Lew 2
    1 May 2010 at 2:07 pm

    Hell yeah. Puts “Enough is Enough” in the shade as well. Proof this is not a niche issue, or one which matters only to greenies of lefties or anti-progress luddites: it’s a core matter of national identity.

    L

  3. Mac1 3
    1 May 2010 at 2:09 pm

    Wow! Well done , Auckland.

    As one who remembers marching against the Tour, Vietnam protests, Anti-Harewood, Omega demonstrations and the social change and awareness that sprang from those times, I am heartened by what is a new generation of resurgent activism.

    Great May Day!

    Capcha ‘age’

    • the pinkpostman 3.1
      1 May 2010 at 2:39 pm

      My thoughts also Mac1.Well done to everyone concerned. there are another few thousand that were unable to attend but are firmly behind you.
      The political Left has at last got the wedge we needed to beat the Nats in 2011.
      This mining concern will galvanize the Labour/Greens to victory.Its just what we wanted . It’s Vietnam war, apartheid all over again . Let us now keep up the pressure on this disatrous right wing government,!!

    • Monty 3.2
      2 May 2010 at 1:27 pm

      Wow – the Police say the numbers were closer to 20,000. Still an impressive number – but far short of the obviously exagerated 50,000 that you are dreaming actually turned out.

      • lprent 3.2.1
        2 May 2010 at 1:28 pm

        I was there. There were more than 20k, I’d have estimated 30-40k. It wouldn’t have surprised me if it was more than 40k. Bloody hard to see the extent of a large crowd.

        It is amazing how consistent the police are in under-estimating large crowd sizes and over-estimating small crowd sizes. I remember many years ago at being astonished at counting a wee protest at about 200, and the police estimating it at 500.

        I wonder if they get trained in it?

        • Monty 3.2.1.1
          2 May 2010 at 4:17 pm

          My point is that the police estimate about 20,000. I would suggest that they are better at estimating crowd numbers that the greenies/ socialists who have a vested interest in reports of higher numbers for this particular protest. 20,000 is still a significant number – but the media reporting is all over the place on this one.

          Still I think it very interesting that during the clark years when about 100 mining licences were granted for conversation estate, there was not even a whimper of protest. Now when “the other side” decide to explore the feasibility (which is all it is at this stage) then the uproar becomes quite noisy. Saying that – I hope the government proceeds with mining – economic benefits will be appreciated by the vast (and silent) majority.

          • lprent 3.2.1.1.1
            2 May 2010 at 4:27 pm

            I don’t think that the police are up to doing the count either… Since I didn’t see any of them up on the roofs counting, I think that they just guessed (as poorly as usual).

            What is interesting about the 100 (or more commonly 92 or other various numbers) “mining licenses in conservation estate” is that no-one appears to be able to produce them. Certainly Brownlee who appears to be the source, has never pointed them out, listed them or done anything except make this claim.

            Frankly, I think that he is implicitly lying, and therefore so are you. Why because even if one of those figures is ‘correct’, I suspect that we will find that the circumstances don’t match up to the claim of ‘mining’.

            I suspect that what these ‘licenses’ could be anything from cleaning up old mining sites, to collecting some river rocks for the local hapu. What I don’t think they are are prospecting on schedule 4 land or mining on them. That is what he and you are implicitly claiming.

            If you want to assert that this is a real figure, then you will have to produce this list of sites and the reference of the mining license so we can look them up to see what he, and you are blathering about. (otherwise – read the policy about making assertions and failing to back them up)

            Frankly this appears just more Brownlee self-serving bullshit, and you appear to be such a credulous idiot that you fall for it hook, line, and sinker….

          • Pascal's bookie 3.2.1.1.2
            2 May 2010 at 4:29 pm

            How many licenses for schedule 4 land? (hint:zero) And as for the silence perhaps you missed it but there was actually quite a bit of activism and pissed off lefties WRT mining. Happy Valley ring any bells?

            Thing about ‘silent majorities’ is, you don’t know what they think. They are silent. The silent people probably have a range of opinions just like the noisy people do.

            The silent majority argument is basically just an older version of the old usenet fall back excuse that ‘the lurkers support me in email’, encapsulated in song here…

            http://barb.velvet.com/humor/lurkers.html

    • HitchensFan 3.3
      3 May 2010 at 9:50 am

      ditto that. Well done, Auckland. Does anyone know if Wellington plans something similar? (forgive me if it happened in March, I was out of the country and out of contact with all technology!)

  4. well, well, well (3 holes in the ground) 4
    1 May 2010 at 2:17 pm

    grumble, grumble, grumble, bloody greenies. 50 bloody thousand of the buggers!

    But Seriously – inspirational stuff there Auckland. Really enjoying the pics on the herald website.

  5. Herodotus 5
    1 May 2010 at 2:20 pm

    So with both Nats and Lab support mining within DOC land,increasing taxes & selling govt owned assets where do we turn to?
    All for me this displays is that Blue is the new Red. And the people are still dissatisfied and not listened to. Perhaps someone should setup a new political party called “NONE of THE ABOVE” now that could result in a hugh landslide !!!
    I say Tongue in Cheek.
    I think the last march of this porportion was in the early 80’s a young women organised a march against the unions and the hold they were having over all of NZ.

    • Marty G 5.1
      1 May 2010 at 2:30 pm

      Labour doesn’t support selling assets or mining on schedule 4 land. And they are talking about keeping the top rate where it is, using the extra revenue to make the poor better off.

      If that’s not left enough for you, vote green.

      • Herodotus 5.1.1
        1 May 2010 at 3:09 pm

        High country farms leasehold land had been sold under the last Lab govt then in some cases redeveloped by property developers e.g. The Lakes area in S.I., and Pike River Coal mine sharfts extent into DOC land. I remember in 99 when the (Then proposed) introduction of 39% tax rate was included within the Labs promises and how it was to apply to about 5% and that was the only tax to be increased, how about exercise tax on fuel, increases in ACC levies (And I believe they still occur will I did notice a subtle increase in my PAYE tax last month just enough to almost miss!!) the effect of tax creep (This is an increase in taxes though I admit more technical but still the same people paid more in taxes and another 6% moved into the top rate), The addn 6% not able to manifacture there earnings into other forms and escape this increase.
        Greens have there place but never seen a fully costed manifesto that covers ALL aspects of being in power. Like minor parties NZ1 using a vague analogy it is getting 3 sides of a rubics cube right but totally hashing up the other 3 then when trying to fix screwing up all 6 sides, but hey that is only 1 voters oponion.

        • Daveosaurus 5.1.1.1
          1 May 2010 at 5:28 pm

          “how about exercise tax on fuel”

          Malapropism of the year.

      • Peter 5.1.2
        2 May 2010 at 8:00 am

        Labour MAY do a lot of things however Goff hasn’t said he will repeal the GST increases, won’t remove us from the Rights for Native Peoples thingie (sorry don’t remember the proper name).

        A lot of people I know voted National because they were seeking change, and now most are saying all we’ve got is the same self serving, corrupt politicians that we’ve just had for 9 years so who do I vote for next time, one of the fringe third parties?

  6. marty mars 6
    1 May 2010 at 2:47 pm

    This is wonderful – thanks to all who marched on this great day in may.

  7. Tigger 7
    1 May 2010 at 3:12 pm

    The first of many marches I’m sure.

  8. ianmac 8
    1 May 2010 at 3:17 pm

    I hope that once we the people get used to the right to protest about important issue, then the population will no longer passive/indifferent. They will rise up! Well done the anti-mining lobby!

  9. RedLogix 9
    1 May 2010 at 3:26 pm

    Wow!!!

    Simply the best thing that’s happened in NZ for ages. There are quiet tears in my eyes as I type this… I realise now how large a part of me had lost a a big chunk of faith in my fellow countryfolk.

    Well done and congrats to the those who put all the work in organising it.

  10. John Dalley 10
    1 May 2010 at 3:30 pm

    Watch John Key get nervous now.
    Any bets Monday morning Key walks in to Brownlee’s office and kicks his arse.

  11. mickysavage 11
    1 May 2010 at 3:38 pm

    Good stuff Auckland and great organisation. Good to see Phil Goff and a phalanx of Labour and Green MPs there.

    Hear that John Key? It is the sound of NZ waking up the the truly awful things your Government is trying to do to our country. Be afraid, be very afraid …

  12. freedom 12
    1 May 2010 at 3:47 pm

    absolutely impressed with all kiwis that made it to the march, a little bit of my soul just got better

    now perhaps NZrs will realise they do have a voice and it is easy to express it

    and to those who supported the march and wish they could have been at the march, but geography and work kept them elsewhere there are plenty of upcoming opportunities

    i stand and applaud you all

    • Jim Nald 12.1
      1 May 2010 at 3:54 pm

      How about a webpage where people can record their names, email addresses & city?

      And for those who wish to protect themselves from recriminations of a vindictive government, there is an option for them to tick to ask for their email addresses to be withheld?

      • freedom 12.1.1
        1 May 2010 at 4:04 pm

        Let’s take this opportunity to get real for a minute

        If any Government wants the list they take the list. Opting out does nothing but give the sheeple a false sense of security and privacy. The Government, and Big Business can look at anything, anytime, anywhere, and there is nothing you, me or any other ‘free’ citizen can do about it, except work harder and smarter and make more people aware of what is happening.

        The last three days should prove that the modern resources of shared information can be used for constructive or destructive purposes. It is simply up to every one of us to decide which we choose to contribute to

      • kiwi2b 12.1.2
        1 May 2010 at 6:53 pm

        Interesting idea. We spent the Saturday before doorknocking and getting people’s thoughts on this issue. We put them up here, you can see Christchurch people aren’t very happy. Maybe a place after for comments, so people can show their concerns?

    • Selene 12.2
      2 May 2010 at 8:24 am

      Very inspiring, positive and strong.
      I’m sure the NZ people are coining on to the fact that National will sell us down the river in no time.
      So drawing a crowd even if it is 20 thousand or whatever is fantastic I only hope it gets better with future marches.
      The government need to listen to the people or compromise more easily or else they will have a major problem at hand.

      I doubt National will make it with the next election.

  13. Sookie 13
    1 May 2010 at 3:54 pm

    This makes me happy. I thought the spirit of protest was completely dead in NZ. I couldn’t be there because I am in Dunedin but I so wish I could have been. Reminds me of my old student days in the 90’s under National when we used to occupy the Clocktower. This crew is no different from Shipley, Richardson and Co. I expect more protests over the coming months as normal, non political people are getting very pissed indeed. The ones who voted for Key as he seemed ‘like an okay guy’ are not going to make the same mistake again.

  14. Alwyn 14
    1 May 2010 at 3:54 pm

    I wonder whether John Key said he would rather talk to a sheep than have anything to do with the protesters?
    Oh no.He’s out of the country isn’t he.

    • Jim Nald 14.1
      1 May 2010 at 4:02 pm

      The pro-mining move is a flop, Prime Minister
      Please surprise me and don’t flip

  15. Jake 15
    1 May 2010 at 4:16 pm

    Very impressive. Also show’s how bloody well organised Greenpeace are. Perhaps the most organised sector lobby in NZ?

    • zonk 15.1
      2 May 2010 at 7:33 pm

      or alternatively how absolutely disgusted people are about this.

      ACC is appalling. Supercity is appalling. So many of their things are appalling. But this is so outrageous and importantly irreversible once enacted. A brazen attempted theft of breathtaking arrogance, pushed forward with a curious incompetence.

  16. Salsy 16
    1 May 2010 at 4:28 pm

    Go NZ! Shows that despite being duped into voting for the Nats via an election FULL of lies, New Zealand is still a country of values. I went to the march in Nelson, there were only 2000 of us but it was really moving (i almost cried) and amazing, plus we got to heckle Nick Smith, who begrudgingly turned up and called us a bunch of hypocrites. I can only imagine how incredible it would have been in Auckland today..

  17. Sanctuary 17
    1 May 2010 at 4:39 pm

    Dollars to donuts lead story at 6pm will be “horror smash kills three” complete with a live cross to an empty road in the middle of nowhere.

    • mickysavage 17.1
      1 May 2010 at 6:02 pm

      Sanctuary you are dead right!

      I just watched TV one news and the first story is precisely what you said.

      How do you do it?

      • Marty G 17.1.1
        1 May 2010 at 6:06 pm

        it was first on tv3.

        funny, on tv1 they thought the yank i linked to in another vid was a parody of the pro-mining position. Just shows that if you are too extreme you become inseparable from parody of your position.

        • felix 17.1.1.1
          1 May 2010 at 6:44 pm

          You sure that wasn’t a parody?

          • Bill 17.1.1.1.1
            1 May 2010 at 6:53 pm

            I thought it was parody too….surely!

            Edge of placard has four words I can’t make out, but whose first letters appear to be C – R – A and P…I think.

      • A Nonny Moose 17.1.2
        1 May 2010 at 9:31 pm

        Ha, I had to search pretty hard to find the story on Stuff. And while the article is still top of page on Granny dot conz, they’re trying to play down numbers with “Police totes reckonz its closer to 20K, so don’t get all uppity in yer sellabrashuns mmkay?”.

        Queen Street blocked off for “about an hour” makes it sound like a little Sunday drive, not something with numbers akin to the Springboks protests.

        • lprent 17.1.2.1
          1 May 2010 at 9:40 pm

          Just a well-organized protest.

          Why would Queen street need to be blocked off for more than an hour. Small protests like those that ACToids organize seem to be somewhat inept.

          I did like using Myers park. A lot better venue than the Aotea Square even when it is open.

        • Draco T Bastard 17.1.2.2
          1 May 2010 at 10:04 pm

          Oh, the Grannys reportage is, as usual, looking for ratings rather than reporting news
          http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10642083

          Police, however, said the number of protesters was closer to 20,000, although no arrests were made.

          emphasis mine.

          It was a peaceful and legal protest against an anti-democratic government, why would they make out like it wasn’t?

  18. Irascible 18
    1 May 2010 at 4:44 pm

    CONGRATULATIONS NEW ZEALAND the march demonstrated that there is still passion in the pavlova paradise despite voting into government the most arrogant dictatorial group of parties since Muldoon and his mob! The march must shout out “Key and NACT must go.”

    • Jim Nald 18.1
      1 May 2010 at 4:48 pm

      Key should be smiling and waving to the crowd of 50,000 ?
      Seems like a good opportunity to kickstart the 2011 campaign?
      Some good photo-ops there?
      Where exactly is he?

      • Marty G 18.1.1
        1 May 2010 at 5:22 pm

        In Saudi Arabia signing the Free Trade Deal with the Gulf Co-operation Council.

        • Jim Nald 18.1.1.1
          1 May 2010 at 11:36 pm

          Well, why didn’t someone from Cabinet (the next one in line?) front up?
          Or Jabba the Hutt himself who wants to mine?

  19. CnrJoe 19
    1 May 2010 at 4:44 pm

    Gerry, Gerry, Gerry, u make my Xmas come early – can’t wait for the versions of what happened today as depicted by the t.v news this evening.
    At the park the dude on the stage said 15 000, but this was as the march kept pouring in from Queen St. So many dogs – are they allowed on the conservation estate?
    And did anyone else see the placard of Jonkey ‘hitlered’ and the word MEIN? The woman was quite bemused that it got such attention.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/49786185@N02/?saved=1

    • Jim Nald 19.1
      1 May 2010 at 4:53 pm

      Quite an interesting pic … did you notice the other signs (haha!):
      … MONEY CHANGE … SOUVENIRS … and LANGE CHANGE (yes, Key is quite a change from Lange in terms of public popularity)

      captcha: boards
      (aye? wot!!)

  20. coolas 20
    1 May 2010 at 4:44 pm

    Wow! What a boost to the true Kiwi spirit; love of land and life.

    That dead eyed John Key and his gang of philistine bullies have been put on notice by this amazing turn out.

    Well done 50,000 times. You’ve made an old cynic shed a tear or two.

  21. Marty G 21
    1 May 2010 at 5:09 pm

    you’ve got to see this vid. the pro-mining yank at the end – right out of central casting

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3647465/Thousands-march-against-mining

  22. Fabregas4 22
    1 May 2010 at 5:11 pm

    This is the first of the issues that shows the govt for what they are.Importantly, it is the first of the issues that allows for greater traction ahead of the election. “If the govt was prepared to mine the country against the will of most of its citizens would you really trust them not to sell of state assets again?” “If you think they might do that what would can you trust them not to do if re-elected?”

    Remember that the big move to National last election was woman (especially mothers). “Do you want you son/daughter to grow up in 1990’s NZ (with the national parks dug up and whaling in NZ waters?”

    There are so many important issues ahead of the next election but these are ones that will swing it and the ones that should be focussed upon – to stop certain disaster.

  23. Bill 23
    1 May 2010 at 5:24 pm

    “In many ways, the Nats’ mining plan is just the final insult, the final straw on top of the Supercity, the do nothing approach to jobs and wages, rising crime, the Canterbury dictatorship, the corruption, the favours for the rich mates, and all the rest.”

    I’d like to think so…that there is rising or deepening general sense of disenchantment.. but I very much doubt it. As an indicator, it would be interesting to know how many people from the mining protest partook in the ACC protest that was also organised for today.

    Not putting down the mining protest here, but there are many pre-existing organisations that would be said to have a ‘natural’ enmity to S4 mining. As such, they can turn out large %ages of their membership at the drop of a hat; mining being a core issue for those organisations.

    The litmus test is whether those same people pick up on other protests which impact on them as individuals but that are not important to their organisations…such as ACC.

    Assuming the ACC protest did transpire, all the mining protesters had to do was turn up early to take part or ang around after to take part. I can’t remember the sequence the protests were in, but it was the same route.

  24. gobsmacked 24
    1 May 2010 at 5:24 pm

    That’s not a protest march … this is a protest march:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10476662

    Yes, two (two!) whole thousands marched against Helen Clark’s “fascism” (their own word – see the photo). The same city, the same street. That was a lead story in all NZ media, and was described as “an outstanding success” (John Boscawen).

    Let’s be very conservative and say there were “only” 20,000 marching today. So at an absolute minimum, there were only 10 times as many as the “outstanding” march against the EFA.

    Looking forward to ten times as much media coverage … starting with the Herald. Well, I can dream.

    • ianmac 24.1
      1 May 2010 at 5:33 pm

      Well said gobsmcked. Funny paper that Herald?

    • A Nonny Moose 24.2
      1 May 2010 at 9:37 pm

      Haha! I’d also like these numbers put up against the “overwhelming success” numbers for the anti-smacking/democracy march that happened recently. Coz that bloke was so sure he’d have the biggest protest of all time. OF ALL TIME.

  25. illuminatedtiger 25
    1 May 2010 at 6:18 pm

    Far more than those ACT loonies managed to bring together against the EFA. A piddly 5000.

  26. freedom 26
    1 May 2010 at 6:35 pm

    Tv One reported 20,000
    Tv 3 reported 50,000

    [lprent: Pretty typical. ]

    • mickysavage 26.1
      1 May 2010 at 7:59 pm

      The right wing poured $500,000 into a march and got maybe 5,000 there.

      The left wing pours bugger all and gets at least 20,000 and maybe 50,000 to the march.

      And your point is?

    • lprent 26.2
      1 May 2010 at 8:12 pm

      Just watched News at 8 on TVNZ7. It is 40k there with the announcer, but some reporter is saying 20k in the protest. Ok, I can understand that. It was bloody hard to get an idea of the size of the protest from inside the crowd until you got up in the hill and could look back..

      • Ari 26.2.1
        2 May 2010 at 10:02 pm

        If the number was 50,000, that’s 5% of Auckland.

        Which is an absurdly large turnout for any sort of protest. You’d be lucky to get that for some sports events.

    • Draco T Bastard 26.3
      1 May 2010 at 8:23 pm

      I heard that 20k was the police estimate….

      Sometimes you wonder where the police learned to count.

  27. John 27
    1 May 2010 at 7:13 pm

    Just put up a bunch of photos from today to http://www.flickr.com/photos/12492550@N03/sets/72157623842370071/detail/

    Feel free to use em on left wing blogs, websites etc.

  28. zonk 28
    1 May 2010 at 7:29 pm

    can we get 250,000 t shits like that one above printed (one for each day of the week) and we can wear them from today until the election…

    • Armchair Critic 28.1
      1 May 2010 at 7:42 pm

      I want one.

      • zonk 28.1.1
        1 May 2010 at 8:37 pm

        have to be honest…I was trying to think of something pithy like no dead fish but 1000s of dead whales…

        or something about ACC…

        but this gets to the point

        • A Nonny Moose 28.1.1.1
          1 May 2010 at 9:42 pm

          “or something about ACC ”

          I’d say something about being “crazy”, but that’s too much like the rape jokes I utterly abhor.

  29. zonk 29
    1 May 2010 at 7:34 pm

    and just to estimate- does this mean that this is (without the enormous Herald and moneybags backed campaign) that mining in National Parks is

    TEN TO TWENTY FIVE TIMES MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE EFA?

    and will this be reflected in the media coverage?

  30. I dreamed a dream 30
    1 May 2010 at 7:43 pm

    I read this slogan in the comments on the tvnz report. Maybe it was also a slogan in the march?

    “Lock up Brownlee, throw away the Key”

    🙂 🙂 🙂

    • Salsy 30.1
      1 May 2010 at 8:51 pm

      Brilliant 🙂

    • lprent 30.2
      1 May 2010 at 9:53 pm

      Interesting. Looks like cite is a bit strong in the css. Adding to the bug list…

    • Jim Nald 30.3
      1 May 2010 at 11:28 pm

      fantastic. very funny. very versatile one too

      “Lock up ……. [NAct MP of your choice – eg MP associated with ‘three strikes’ law? Mauler Benefit? Trolley? Rortney? Blingish??], throw away the Key”

      LOL

  31. zonk 31
    1 May 2010 at 8:43 pm

    http://www.3news.co.nz/Full-interview-with-Phil-Goff-at-todays-anti-mining-march/tabid/315/articleID/153713/Default.aspx

    Good interview. Let’s hope the media start asking the man who has had 9 years in cabinet and out representing NZ as our foreign and trade minister, as opposed to these one year blunder-wonders. Great to see Phil out amongst his constituents in Auckland, adding his voice to the tens of thousands.

    p.s. nice also to Carmel on Backbenches. It’s not only our proud tradition of our national parks, it’s our record of equality between the sexes as the recession bites.

    Good to hear Labour working hard and reminding Kiwis of the things we can be proud of .

  32. Che Soffe 32
    1 May 2010 at 8:50 pm

    Awesome job New Zealand.
    Makes me feel proud and a little homesick.

    captcha: huge

  33. Jack Schytt 33
    1 May 2010 at 9:06 pm

    We can protest mining but think nothing of the gummint raping and pillaging us with the emissions trading scam. How sad is that?

    [lprent: On the basis of a single comment, I’ve provisionally assigned you a status of probably being a troll because you’re using a slogan rather than an argument, and you used a word that is in my troll signature file. I’d suggest that you investigate the policy to find out what I do to people I regard as trolling on our site.

    Incidentally, IMHO the ETS is a scam, but that is only because the ETS is inadequate for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In fact our version looks likely to provide a economic incentive to increase emissions. I suspect that your problem is that you obviously don’t understand the issue beyond trollish sloganeering.

    But go ahead, surprise me… Show there is some intelligence in those fingers (somewhere?). However I’d suggest that if you want to discuss the ETS then you need to move to OpenMike or a more relevant post. It is off-topic for this post. ]

    • Jim Nald 33.1
      1 May 2010 at 11:30 pm

      Thanks, lprent. The record of such postings the past couple of days can be annoying and tiresome. I can do with less of them for a few days to give my eyes a break.

  34. AlbatrossNZ 34
    1 May 2010 at 10:12 pm

    The turnout was a very happy and pleasent surprise. It was a great protest and one the media and government can’t easily ignore. I hope this gets people around New Zealand thinking about what’s going on.

  35. felix 35
    1 May 2010 at 10:20 pm

    Ha ha. Just had a look around the sewer and its tributary drainage ditches to see what the righties have to say about it all.

    No Minister has the only commentary I can find, which consists of a few nazis calling for the protesters to be herded into camps and/or shot. Pretty typical for the No Minister crowd.

    At Kiwiblog nothing happened today. Whaleoil has posted an Animal Planet video about piranhas.

  36. Jenny 36
    2 May 2010 at 2:25 am

    The left wing party, RAM, has applied to deregister.

    http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2010/05/rammed.html

    50 thousand people march in Queen Street against mining in national parks.

    But RAM’s application to deregister pushed this off the headlines at Kiwiblog.

    The right are obviously severely demoralised by yesterday’s massive turnout against mining in the public reserve, and feel the need to celebrate any little victory at all over the left.

    They probably got out the party hats, let off a few desultory streamers and opened a bag of crisps, But I imagine it was a very sad little celebration over at the Kiwiblog.

    • Jenny 36.1
      2 May 2010 at 2:33 am

      I suppose, if RAM achieved anything it was to inadvertently discredit this right wing blogsite in the eyes of most New Zealanders.

  37. freedom 37
    2 May 2010 at 8:11 am

    i just spent ten minutes on the Stuff site (which i have read is the average time a person spends on a news site) and could not find a single article on the March, perhaps it has been taken down already. There was a mention of the ECan March in CHCH.

    Is there any way Stuff can be brought to task for this , it is becoming their standard operational procedure, oooh a big story, better bury it

    • uke 37.1
      2 May 2010 at 9:21 am

      Maybe email Mediawatch?

      Be good to point out the discrepancy when much smaller anti-Labour marches got massive coverage, as noted above.

    • uke 37.2
      2 May 2010 at 9:22 am

      BTW

      Excellent show, Auckland!!

    • gobsmacked 37.3
      2 May 2010 at 11:38 am

      I’m gobsmacked. I really am gobsmacked.

      I don’t usually go for media conspiracy theories. And I’m not that bothered by bias. I expect bias. I expect to read that “a bunch of unwashed daydreamers caused major inconvenience for shoppers in Auckland yesterday”, or some such slant.

      But it’s not possible – it’s just not humanly possible – for a news organisation to ignore the news. It does not compute. It fries my brain.

      The biggest protest march in decades – maybe our lifetimes – simply did not happen, according to Stuff.co.nz. That’s two thirds of our Sunday papers (the Star-Times and the News).

      Sometimes there are logistical reasons for the news going “missing”. Lack of resources in cash-strapped times. For example, the Auckland-based media often ignore a major story in a provincial town. But when the story is happening outside your front door …

      I haven’t seen the print editions. Is it mentioned there? Somebody tell me it is, please.

      I can’t recall anything like this before. I’m just … gobsmacked.

      • gobsmacked 37.3.1
        2 May 2010 at 11:45 am

        Ha! As soon as I posted the above comment …

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3648251/Thousands-say-no-to-mining-proposals

        So that’s a relief. But it wasn’t there this morning – it’s just appeared. Better late than never, I guess.

        I’d still like to know about the print editions though.

        • Jim Nald 37.3.1.1
          2 May 2010 at 11:51 am

          I am quite disappointed as well, much as I had suspected the extent to which the corporatised media would edit out news not aligned with their interest.

      • Anne 37.3.2
        2 May 2010 at 11:46 am

        Mining land – any land – is not a sexy subject gobsmacked. It takes those incompetent, babes-in-arms journalists a while to latch on that anything happened at all.

  38. LynW 38
    2 May 2010 at 8:46 am

    I am so encouraged by yesterday. I really have felt on a different planet to most fellow New Zealanders ..what with the election results and the continuing polls giving Nats such a lead despite the path they are treading!! ( Do these polls truely reflect the average New Zealanders views? )

    Yahoo New Zealanders…it’s taken a while but finally we are speaking out about protecting our country from the Greedies! People young and old from varying cultural, racial and financial backgrounds have spoken! The 1st of May Queen Street demonstration is one to be very proud of. May we continue to speak out and have more say in our future.

    Seriously considering removing Stuff as my Home page…cannot believe their lack of coverage..Even the Herald site has put Stuff to shame. How can I lodge a complaint to Stuff’s management? Recommendations for a better home page welcome..Do view this one often….

  39. Selene 39
    2 May 2010 at 10:09 am

    I have to admit watching the people protest filled me with a renewed energy.
    It is so refreshing to see ‘independent’ people using their voices loud and clear (love the style). We rely on politicians to make all our choices for us, but it is up to us as a nation to make sure the politicians make the right choices- so protests are vital for a healthy nation.

    It is also good to see that all different types of people were marching collectivity.

    To get any voice ‘out there’ independent people cannot always rely on biased TV stations and blogsites, corrupt politicians and puppet journalists with warped agendas that avoid the truth, as they are all slaves to the establishment anyway. Who wants to be a part of the co*k sucking agenda, not me.

    Freedom to voice an opinion can easily be done properly and safely I have realized to make my voice known- I don’t need a slave to do it for me- I just do myself.

    Inspirational March.

    Rock ‘n’ fucking Roll.

  40. travellerev 40
    2 May 2010 at 10:50 am

    Did I ever even suggest that the NZ population was a naive and spoiled bunch who wouldn’t get of their arses if their lives depended on it?

    Wow, was I wrong!!!!!

    Truly awesome and hope giving and it made me even more sorry for not having been able to attend. (Did the digi thing but it’s not the same)

    If recalculated for say the Dutch population that would have been more than 200.000 people and apart from one anti nuke demo which made the 1 million mark I have never ever seen anything like it, not even in the days of the Anti Vietnam war demos’s and they were huge.

    Congrats, Congrats, Congrats.

    Oh, and if anybody ever gets the kid to print that T-shirt I’ll have an X-Large please.

  41. Anne 41
    2 May 2010 at 11:04 am

    “We promote the regeneration and revitalisation of freshwater marine life, protection of flora and fauna, utilisation of better wetlands; and in the case of lakes and lagoons, restore raupo, nourish beaches and sand dunes.

    We will protect natural values and care for streams, lakes, rivers and waterways from agricultural, industrial and domestic waste. We must protect our land from the production, release and disposal of toxic and hazardous waste and promote freedom from ecological destruction.”
    From the Maori Party manifesto.

    No Maori Party MPs seen on the march. Another major sell-out?

    • Jim Nald 41.1
      2 May 2010 at 11:11 am

      Good question.

      Might there be a slight change in their perspectives being imbued with iwi-corporatised and iwi-elitised hues?

  42. Alexandra 42
    2 May 2010 at 12:14 pm

    Freedom sums it up nicely for me “a little bit of my soul just got better.”

  43. Fisiani 43
    2 May 2010 at 12:44 pm

    Sunny day. The sky has not fallen in. New Zealand is still and always will be a wonderful place to live. The government will continue the stocktake of mining options. listen to the feedback from interested people and then probably omit certain contentious sites to prove that they listen and then continue plans to surgically mine in others. This might involve perhaps 0.0001% of NZ.
    Congratulations on voicing an opinion. Under National no one was forced to put their names and addresses on the placards. These opinions will be taken into consideration.

    • Jim Nald 43.1
      2 May 2010 at 1:04 pm

      Indeed. Very well said. Gerry had already made up his mind. He thanks you all for voicing your opinion. You all can go home now.

      News tip-off: Brownlee is seconded to help English break Treasury eggs to make more custard for the upcoming Budget.

      After Brownlee’s stunning success in drawing out an unprecedented number of people to the streets, he has been called in to help English. He is being asked to apply his mind to assist English with generating as many real jobs as people had turned up on May Day.

    • IrishBill 43.2
      2 May 2010 at 1:06 pm

      Under National no one was forced to put their names and addresses on the placards.

      They weren’t under labour either. The fact you have to lie about the past to justify supporting the current government really says something about them and you.

    • Draco T Bastard 43.3
      2 May 2010 at 4:13 pm

      Still apologising for this dictatorial government I see there Fisiani. And, of course, lying about the previous government.

    • Craig Glen Eden 43.4
      2 May 2010 at 8:14 pm

      Oh Fisiani gee thanks like we needed your blessing! How about you arrange to let Aucklander’s have their democratic right to a vote on the Super City and us common folk will go back to the mill.

      You Idiot.

  44. Sanctuary 44
    2 May 2010 at 1:57 pm

    Fisiani has got the pre-loaded arrogance of this National government down pat. Make sure you’ve got the “proper” people in the “proper” places giving you the “proper” outcomes. Ignore everyone else as not worhy of being listened to. It is as if for Brownlee (and Bill English) the years 1999-2008 never happened.

    Personally I hope Fisana reflects the attitude of the government. Because this is an election losing issue.

  45. the pinkpostman 45
    2 May 2010 at 5:07 pm

    Well done fellow Lefties!. Unable to attend, my thoughts were with you all.
    This is undoubtly the start of the Nats decline. Let us now unite to defeat this unsavoury dangerous Rightwing government. we have shown that all sections of the political Left can work together , let us now make sure we remain together regardless of our minor differences . One again well done im going to have a happy week.

  46. Herodotus 46
    2 May 2010 at 8:12 pm

    Oh how other contributors are so easily led to a false and damaging conclusion about our sucessful Nat led govt. Within the next few months that once the stocktake has been completed as to mineral deposits and their location. This Nat led govt has taken heed of their support base and will continue with the safe guard of Sch 14 land. Thus displaying that Nat LISTENS to us and acts accordingly to not only the best interests of this great country but on what the public wishes. I thank all of NZ for their assistance in this matter and the efforts of the marchers in expressing their wishes. Thank you NZ, what a great, wise & knowledgable man The Hon Mr Key is.

  47. Brett 47
    2 May 2010 at 8:25 pm

    Nobody gives a shit about this protest.
    Check out the trade me general message board, huge amounts of people post and barely a whisper.
    These are your average run of the mill kiwi’s not the rent a mob who turned up yesterday.

    • RedLogix 47.1
      2 May 2010 at 9:41 pm

      Brett,

      The largest protest in a decade or more. Keep telling yourself no-one cares, cos that sour whining sound coming from your head while firmly stuck up your arrogant arse is making my heart sing.

    • gobsmacked 47.2
      2 May 2010 at 9:49 pm

      Brett

      There were more people at that march than at any Super 14 game this year.

      So according to you, “run of the mill kiwis” don’t give a shit about rugby?

  48. Anne 48
    2 May 2010 at 8:56 pm

    Wow! That was an expensive rent a mob. 50,000 at $100 for each protester? A cool $5million? Now I wonder who put up the cash.

  49. Richard 49
    2 May 2010 at 9:36 pm

    Thank you Auckland. It made my night to turn on the news and see such an awesome turnout.
    Even more fun to see the usual trolls trying to talk the numbers down.

  50. swimmer 50
    2 May 2010 at 10:00 pm

    It’s great to see so much people power out there protecting what is important. 🙂

  51. T 51
    2 May 2010 at 10:54 pm

    Don’t mean to spam but if anyone is interested here are some photographs I took of the march against mining.

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