Cleaners rally for a Clean Start

Auckland’s cleaners gathered in Aotea Square this month to protest bad working conditions and low pay.
The rally, on May 14, marked the third anniversary of the Clean Start campaign, which advocates for the rights of New Zealand’s commercial cleaners.
Labour MP Darien Fenton strongly supports the cleaners’ network, but has no confidence the National government will give the [...]

SAFE speeds up pigs campaign with digital technology

The speed of digital media has allowed a “freedom for pigs” campaign to quickly raise public awareness of intensive pig farming in New Zealand.

SAFE (Save Animals from Exploitation) received unprecedented public support following the exposure of squalor-like farming conditions on TVNZ’s Sunday programme on May 17.

Director of SAFE Anthony Terry says digital [...]

Students get ready to march against super city

Auckland students are being called on to revive their role as “freedom thinkers” and oppose the super city proposal at a city-wide hikoi on May 25.
At a student hui on Monday, hikoi organiser Ngarimu Blair raised issues such as the threatened loss of grassroots representation for Maori and smaller communities like students, and the need [...]

A 20-year wait to be rescued

Invisible Children wait in the rain to be rescued.

Hundreds of teenagers kicked off a worldwide protest, The Rescue, by camping out in the rain at Auckland’s Aotea Square on Anzac Day.
The event, organised by The Invisible Children group, aimed to draw attention to the fate of children in Uganda who are abducted to [...]

Half a century later and Tibetans still want to go home

Fifty years after their spiritual leader was forced into exile, Tibetans still want to go home.
That was the message from the Dalai Lama’s New Zealand representative to a crowd of Tibetan supporters at Monday’s march up Queen St to Aotea Square.
“The main aim is to let people know the Tibet issue has not been forgotten.
“Even [...]

‘Blockade’ killing civilians, say Tamil protestors

A “blockade” on the delivery of food and medicine to areas encircled by Sri Lankan armed forces is killing Tamil civilians, say protestors who gathered in Britomart Square on Friday.
“If someone gets sick there, they’ll die, but the world is turning a blind eye,” demonstrator Nes Jagan said. Another protestor from Auckland’s Tamil community displayed [...]

Tame Iti and Tuhoe supporters fight the courts

Journalists have been banned from reporting the evidence in depositions hearing for the Tuhoe “terror raids”.

Judge Mark Perkins weighed up the strong public interest in the case against the interests of ensuring a fair trial, and has imposed a blanket supression order on the hearings.

Angry ferry commuters carry Waiheke’s coffin

Waiheke ferry passengers will be wearing black and carrying a coffin on Monday, protesting against fare rises they say will cause the death of diversity on Waiheke Island.
From September 1 Fullers will increase the monthly pass by $44 to $344, a 12.7 per cent jump that has islanders fuming.
“How can a private company destroy a [...]

Protest over Tuhoe terror raids as hearings begin

Demonstrations are being planned around the world urging police to ‘Drop the Charges’ against the 20 people arrested during last year’s Tuhoe terror raids.
In Auckland, Wellington, and Melbourne, supporters will take to the streets, while in Vancouver, Canada, there will be a special film screening of Tuhoe: A History of Resistance.
The protests are in response [...]

Boobs on bikes: controversial but controlled

The controversial Boobs on Bikes parade, organised by porn distributor Steve Crow, went ahead on Wednesday afternoon despite a protest by Auckland Women’s Centre and Stop Demand Foundation.

About 45 policemen, 60 protesters, thousands of spectators and several topless women descended on Queen St.

Thousands of cameras and mobile phones were pulled from pockets to record the protest and parade.