Posted on 15-3-2002

Back To The Future For Auckland

Intro by Alan Marston (Photo shows `wired' security, uniformed and plain
clothes police dragging people out of Auckland City Council meeting
room).


I was at the 13 March full Auckland City Council meeting filming for a
PTV programme on transport in Auckland. The scene and atmosphere at the
meeting brought back memories of the Waitangi and Tour protests of the
80's and the 70's Vietnam war protests all of which have shown nothing
much has changed in New Zealand ... plain clothes police in public
audience actively manhandling people (see male with red shirt in photo),
pre-planned ID of individuals marked for an arrest schedule, coordination
of police (note police male active presence in council room), private
security and politicians for assault on political opponents. In short, a
battle in which `collateral damage' was accepted and acceptable to those
in positions of political and civil authority.


The PTV programme brief has now been expanded to include the state and
process of how politics really works in New Zealand's most influential
city, and by implication, in New Zealand in general. Preface Ends.


Following is a media release from Marney Ainsworth of Wake Up Auckland
coalition, issued in the wake of the debacle at the Auckland City Council
meeting last night, 13 March 2002.


Complaints have since been laid with the Minister of Police by three of
the women and one of the men who were arrested for the rough handling
they received at the hands of both the security gruards and the police.
It should be noted that a 15 year old and 17 year old who went to the
meetings with their mothers were also arrested -I am only glad I left my
13 year old at home. These young people live in the council houses that
the Council voted to sell last night. The sales will go ahead without any
of the prortections for existing tenants that were proposed by the City
Vision councillors, and also without the report that would advise
Councillors on the impact on the people affected by the sales. This
report will not be ready before April. The decision to sell was taken
after the City Vision and Labour councillors had left in disgust at the
violence that was being meted out.


I am shocked by this turn of events. Please - lets fill the streets on
Saturday - lets say no to violence and suppression, and yes to a green,
democratic, inclusive city that we can all feel proud of.


Citizen rights trashed at Council meeting

Tonight 17 otherwise law abiding citizens were forced into a
situation where they were placed under arrest for exercising their
democratic rights of freedom of expression.  Ordinary citizens were
violently ejected by private body guards on the orders of the mayor
picked people out for ejection based on no apparent reason other than
they voiced an opinion he didn't want to hear.  While this was happening
the police stood by and did nothing to protect the democratic of
</fontfamily>Auckland residents. <fontfamily><param>Times New
Roman</param>These actions demonstrate the politics of arrogance and
confrontation practiced by John Banks and the ACRN Council members who
sat there and let the unprovoked violence occur. 

The item on the agenda, the
sale of council housing, was never raised by John Banks or ACRN during
the election campaign.  This is one of many such issues that have never
been mandated by either an election campaign, consultation processes with
the public, or through the recommendations of council officers. Ordinary
citizens from all around </fontfamily>Auckland City were subjected to the
indignity of having their bags and pockets searched before they could
enter the Town Hall.  Once inside the Council meeting room, Banks refused
to allow anyone to speak in the public forums. When one man objected to
this decision, he was dragged from the room by several security guards on
the orders of John Banks. <fontfamily><param>Times New
Roman</param>Later, a woman who had been sitting quietly was forcibly
removed by four private security guards who carried her spread-eagled
from the room, despite the efforts of many members of the public to stop
this from happening.  One of the women involved was later treated for the
shock by the ambulance service.

These developments will be
viewed with horror by most Auckland City residents.  It is
notable that under the worst excesses of the Les Mills mayoralty, someone
well known for his bullying attitude, people were always allowed to speak
and placards and banners were well tolerated.


This debacle needs to be
reviewed urgently by Central Government, Human Rights and Civil Liberties
to wipe tonight's decisions from the books and to ensure that this
Council cannot exercise their powers when they ride rough shod over the
democratic rights of ordinary citizens to make a peaceful protest.