Guantanamao, Aotearoa

Powerful TV3 extended footage of today's protest HERE

TERROR RAIDS- John Minto replies to Chris Trotter

Kia ora Chris,

I don’t usually write to people like this because there are usually more productive things to do. However I’ll make an exception in this case.

I didn’t see your earlier pieces on the so-called “terror roundup” but saw your Dominion piece on Friday and SST column last weekend. I thought both were shallow and sometimes pompous but more importantly they were a weak commentary on kiwi activism and potentially damaging in relation to the accused.

Two weeks ago the police and SIS launched probably the most savage assault on the progressive movement in my lifetime. Your immediate instinct was to duck for cover and cut adrift a group of activists you can only surmise about. You preferred the long shadow cast by the state’s forces than, for example, engaging in battle to prevent the anti-terror laws being used for the first time. In fact I’m not sure you’ve even mentioned the anti-terror laws. Have you caught up with them yet and what they mean for civil rights in New Zealand?

Dozens of young activists have been visited over the past two weeks by police with thick folders containing transcripts of every phone call, every text and every email they have sent in the past year. Is this not worth a mention?

You then went further and gave active support to what you describe as the police thesis of an alliance between “Maori separatists and eco-anarchists”. Unlike other commentators you weren’t prepared to wait and see what evidence the police produce. Instead you’ve been busy doing your best to bolster the state’s case in the public mind.

I had the experience of sitting through a bail hearing for Rongomai Bailey last week. Despite being arrested on arms charges including being in possession of a Molotov cocktail the police agreed they were unable to produce any evidence he had ever even touched a weapon. They did produce surveillance transcripts of two bugged car journeys (which incidentally are inadmissible on the arms charges). The evidence itself is suppressed but suffice to say there was nothing in even the “juiciest” bits read to court in relation to Rongomai that would not be heard at any gun club in New Zealand on a Saturday afternoon.

I’m sure the police will come up with a few headlines (Jamie Lockett “declaring war on New Zealand” was one) as time passes but I doubt any kind of credible terrorist threat will emerge despite it already being a reality in what seems to be your somewhat fevered imagination.

As it stands you have aligned yourself with our state forces against good New Zealanders.

It’s not the first time you’ve ducked. When the US/UK launched the attack on Iraq in 2003 you sided with Tony Blair against the rest of mankind. Why is it with the big issues you seem to lose the plot? Will you side with the US/Israel when they launch their long awaited attack on Iran?

People who know you better than me tell me the problem is you are not connected in any meaningful way to any groups active in any particular issues so that your commentary is often theoretical and disconnected from daily struggle. I don’t know if this is true but it seems the only explanation that makes any sense to me.

Don’t feel you have to respond Chris. I’ve said enough and am unlikely to have the time to respond again anyway. There’s plenty of real work to do.

Regards,

John Minto

Minto- Police push for anti-terror charges politically motivated

Police push for anti-terror charges politically motivated

John Minto

29 October 2007

The police decision to refer evidence from their so-called “anti-terror” activities to the Attorney General is deeply disturbing. (The Attorney General has delegated to the Solicitor General)

If the police believe they have evidence of breaches of the law then they can lay charges under any number of legal provisions. Instead they have chosen to pursue charges under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.

Behind this decision is the deeply political need to justify the huge extra resources and wide legislative powers the police and Security Intelligence Service have been given since 2001. They have to find terrorists. Uncovering criminal activity is not enough for these “wannabe terrorist fighters”.

What the police are now doing is charging political activists under a law which would have made many of the civil disobedience protests from 1981 into “terrorist activities”. Activities such as the 40 people sitting on Rotorua airport runway, the invasion of the pitch in Hamilton and the blocking of the Harbour Bridge could all qualify.

(The Terrorism Suppression Act defines a terrorist as someone who, for political reasons, causes “serious disruption to an infrastructure facility, if likely to endanger human life…” This catch-all definition underlines the danger of these laws.)

Cullen’s cowardice
Meanwhile Attorney General Michael Cullen’s decision to delegate the responsibility for deciding charges to the Solicitor General is conveniently cowardly. This Terrorism Suppression Act is the Labour government’s law with the provision inserted by Labour for the Attorney General to approve terrorism charges. Cullen is now ducking for cover.

He wasn’t so shy late last year when he intervened at a moment’s notice to quash attempts to bring alleged Israeli war criminal Mosche Ya’alon (“the butcher of Qana”) to justice.

Cullen ordered the abandonment of the arrest warrant issued against Ya’alon by Auckland District Court Judge Avinash Deobhakta. Earlier Deobhakta had found there were “good and sufficient reasons” for the New Zealand police to arrest Ya’alon.

To now pretend somehow that he should leave the decision to law experts is gutless. Cullen will be the subject of protest at the Labour Party conference this coming weekend.

John Minto
Spokesperson
Ph (09) 8463173 (H)
(09) 8452132 (W)

John Minto on Winston Peters - spittle-flecked dog whistling

Winston Peters - spittle-flecked dog whistling

29 October 2007

Claims of apartheid among those supporting the activists arrested in
the recent para-military police raids across New Zealand are typical
of Winston Peters's spittle-flecked dog whistling.

To suggest those protesting are doing so because some of those
arrested are brown is pathetic.

Peters has a long history of racial opportunism and added to that
history over the weekend. Previously he has attacked Asians, refugees
and Maori rights supporters in race-based attacks. Last weekend's
torrent of abuse from Peters is par for the course.

Peters was a part of the National Party in the 1970's and 1980s which
regarded Nelson Mandela as a terrorist and regarded the African
National Congress as a terrorist organisation. Peters has never
marched against apartheid but has regularly stood abusing from the
sidelines.

We are opposed to the threat of using the Terrorism Suppression Act
and its amendments against political activists. This is the most
serious threat to civil rights in New Zealand since the 1951
waterfront lockout.

The most surprising aspect of last Saturday's protests was the degree
of unity amongst the diverse groups represented. We have not seen such
a range of groups with such unity for a long time in New Zealand protest.

John Minto
Global Peace and Justice Auckland

Minto and Meraunt- United for Civil Rights

TV3 News Video here

From old foes to new friends - former top cop Ross Meurant and political activist John Minto have spent 26 years on opposing sides, since the Springbok tour.

But they have finally found a cause they agree on.

For 26 years they have been on opposite sides of the barricades...

Ross Meurant, the former top cop, renowned for taking a hard line on radical elements, and John Minto, the political activist involved in most left-wing groups and causes.

Today for the first time they actually met, and buried the hatchet, united by their stance against the police terrorism raids.

They came to each others attention in 1981 during the springbok tour, but never got closer than 50 metres.



Both men were considered generals - Meurant directing the red squad, Minto the protestors.

That same year, Meurant gave the long arm of the law a baton, which became known as the Minto bar.

They say the police are now abusing their powers, and misusing legislation.

John Minto will tomorrow lead the march for freedom; more than a thousand protestors are expected to join him.

He did ask his new friend to join him - Meurant politely declined, saying it really isn't his thing.