Government leaders and MPs are now under the protest spotlight after three months of political indifference to the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.
“The government is shamelessly taking the US/Israel side as apologists for genocide in Gaza” says John Minto, National Chair of Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.
“We are now turning our focus onto the collaborators with genocide and government leaders and MPs have put themselves in the spotlight”
Last Thursday/Friday PSNA supporters in Christchurch organised three protests against the Prime Minister and National Party caucus who were meeting in Christchurch.
This included a protest at the National Party Caucus dinner here and here where embarrassed National MPs had to “walk a gauntlet” to get on their buses back to their hotel.
We are putting out the call to supporters around the country to let us know when they become aware of government leaders or MPs in their areas.
“Political indifference” what a sweet phrase for the actions of our government (both Labour and National-led Govts) towards genocide. We’ll be forever chasing our tails while we call out their actions rather than the root cause for these actions – why the political indifference! Of course, in my view the system is corrupt, the entire political system is corrupt, buy yeah…we are not willing to go there. I see it here, I see it on the protest lines. We will just have to wait until this corrupt system is crushing enough of us that we finally wake up to the true reality of the world. Either this, or hope that a more politically enlightened people than us, leads the fightback against big-money-power, whom we can already see, is already able to commit genocide with little, to any, meaningful push back. The clock is ticking on us all.
I see a coalition of Te Pati Maori and the Greens – but the latter without James and Marama. The Party needs to be much more strident on most issues including social justice
I got this type of outlook on Saturday, at the latest protest. What can I say. I believe our problems to be global level in nature, that filters down from this level of power to us all. I believe that neoliberal economic policy is the best example of this. We, our govt, didn’t make this. The US and UK govt’s didn’t make it either. Special interests, forced/lobbied, call it what you will, the US and UK govt’s to adopt this, their policy (link for more below). It then spread everywhere in the West. This is the level of politics I typically focus upon. This, to me, is real power.
Everyone I spoke to on Saturday thought like you, thought locally/nationally, like we can solve all our problems, which also includes neoliberalism, locally. Geez, I wish they/you were right and as Bob, below alludes to, that I truly was in cloud cuckoo land. But alas, when countries all over the world, but typically Western Govt’s in general, turn a blind eye to mass slaughter while (rightfully) condemning the illegal act that led to this slaughter, meaning they are aware of this calamity, when they can all remain silent, all in sync, then local politics is not going to solve this type of issue.
“The Lewis Powell Memo: A Corporate Blueprint to Dominate Democracy” – https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/democracy/the-lewis-powell-memo-a-corporate-blueprint-to-dominate-democracy/
Harassment pure and simple typical of the professional protest class.
Makes them feel holier than thou.
Hi Bob
Have you ever protested against something, I am curious, I think as a human being I should stand and be counted for those at the bottom of the heap, those who don’t have enough to live on, those who have had their country colonised by the European colonising countries, those who have been invaded and or bombed by the US who don’t like who they have elected to lead their country, even though the US may have championed them before. Those in China who are being persecuted, those in Myanmar and West Papua who are being driven into the ground, those in Western Sahara whose country has been taken over by Morocco. I have never felt holier than thou at any time frankly. I think I have a humanitarian responsibility to stand up. I sign petitions on practically a daily basis and that includes against the degradation of our environment, climate change, against endless plastic pollution everywhere on our planet in our oceans and numerous numerous more things that matter! I marched against apartheid, for the nuclear free movement, wanting to remain GE free, wanting Aotearoa out of every war they got our country into, against the Foreshore and Seabed legislation…..
Does that then make me part of the professional protest class… who are they, these people, are they too humanitarian types.
AO good heavens are you for real?
What would you like me to clarify?
Don’t bother AO, Bob has no interest in anyone but himself, that much is obvious, that’s for real.
The fact you’ve challenged Bob with grace and intellect is way to much for him to comprehend, thus his usual simplistic ( small minded) retort.