Blockade SkyCity – TPPA Free Zone
On February 4th , delegates from the 12 TPP nations will descend on SKYCITY convention centre to sign the TPPA and we are going to get in their way in an attempt to stop them.
Real Choice is calling for a blockade of the Sky City convention complex on the 4th of February, leaving Aotea Square at 9am and holding Federal St. for as long as possible. This means shutting down the surrounding area and stopping entry by blocking some surrounding roads – effectively creating a TPPA free zone. The tactic is a form of non-violent direct action (NVDA), a peaceful means we have available to stop the signing on the day.
Direct action has shut down trade deals before and this is our opportunity to actually stop or delay the proceedings, physically demonstrating we won’t let them sign this agreement under our noses.
Bring yourself and whanau, bring a sign, your voice, an instrument or drum if you have it and stay as long or short as you can. There’ll be music, costumes and face paints as well as direct action
If you want to get involved in the lead up to the day, feel free to come along to our screening of ‘Battle in Seattle’ on Wednesday 27th https://www.facebook.com/
And to the ‘Protestival’ on Sunday 31st, where we’ll be holding NVDA training for those interested https://www.facebook.com/
The blockade will be running all day, but if you wish to go and check the March down Queen St. running from 12pm, info for that can be found here https://www.facebook.com/
I remember standing in the protest outside the National Party Conference in Christchurch in 1979 or 1980.
Two metre high hurricane-fence crowd barriers had been engineered into the road surface prior to the event. Some protestors took that as an invitation to destroy the barriers.
Journalist Tom Scott walked up and down the conference side of the barrier imploring the crowd not vandalise the fences. He said it would play into Muldoon’s hands.
He was right.
Keep it cool.
Non violence is the only way. You can’t bring a pitchfork to a drone fight.
But we can be angry. Chomsky said, when visiting NZ 20 years ago, that the people of Haiti rallied, railed and rioted against their version of Rogernomics. And NZ just let it happen.
Costumes and Face paint will be the first things to make you all look ridiculous nutters and “left wing looney”.
Cant you guys keep it serious and upfront for a change??!! Show up in your decent threads and even suits then you will be making a statement.
That’s because they are all ridiculous nutters and Left Wing Loonies.
Can anyone here provide me with a simple, succinct example of how their lives will suffer under the TPPA? Of how it is different from every other free trade agreement NZ has signed over the past 100 years? And that answers why even Labour is hopelessly split because it knows the TPPA will be immensely beneficial for the country but it can’t support it because it’s being signed by a National Government – despite the fact the party’s talisman, Helen Clark herself, is a strident supporter?
And please don’t give me any of that ‘sovereignty’ bullshit. That’s such a load of bull. Every time you sign anything you cede a little sovereignty – essentially any trade deal requires undertakings on both sides. Parliament will always be sovereign and can do what it likes – it always has and it always will.
Because New Zealand will be competing against 2nd and third world wages.
And our companies will compete with the biggest companies in the world for contracts.
Just as we don’t let the All Blacks play with local club teams anymore. We shouldn’t let the American pharmacy lobby play against PHARMAC
Key has already admitted (after initially denying it) that the cost of medicines will rise. That may not matter to you, but it certainly does to those of us who are not well off. It will also enable major corporations (mostly American) to sue the NZ govt if they deem a NZ law interferes with their profit-making potential. For a country already over $100 billion in debt, and climbing by $27 million a day, this is hardly a positive prospect. There’s plenty more if you care to take your head out of the sand.