[www-features] WWW-FEATURES PROPOSAL: Major disruption to Weapons Conference in Wellington

[smush capitalism]

hey,
posted - but i not working... maybe i'm just being impatient ;-) ? the
article id is #848740 but
http://www.indymedia.org/en/2006/10/848740.shtmldoesnt work. maybe
it's just the synchr that needs to kick in.

thanks!

On 10/19/06, smush capitalism <smushcapitalism at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> hi www-features,
>
> here is a proposal for a global feature from Aotearoa!
> solidarity
> smush Aotearoa IMC
>
>
> TITLE: Major disruption to Weapons Conference in Wellington
>
> SHORT TITLE: <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.nz">AOTEAROA:</a> BLOCKADES
> SHUT DOWN CONFERENCE VENUE FOR 4 HOURS
>
> PHOTO: <img src="http://indymedia.org.nz/usermedia/image/5/global.jpg">
>
> ABSTRACT:
>
> <p>200 people participated in successful blockades against the New Zealand
> Defence Industry Association (NZDIA) conference this Tuesday which was held
> at the National Museum in Wellington, Aotearoa. The museum was completely
> shut down for 4 hours by protesters linking arms and blockading eight museum
> entrances. No-one was arrested on the opening day despite big scuffles with
> the police who set up barricades and used batons against demonstrators. The
> blockades were sustained by Food not Bombs and music, a lot of chanting and
> chasing war profiteers and army personnel. [ Reports <a href="
> http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71832/index.php">1</a<http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71832/index.php%22%3E1%3C/a>>
> | <a href=" http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71829/index.php">2</a<http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71829/index.php%22%3E2%3C/a>>
> | <a href="http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71826/index.php">3</a
> <http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71826/index.php%22%3E3%3C/a>> |
> <a href="http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71817/index.php">
> Timeline 17 Oct 2006</a> | <img src="http://indymedia.org.nz/images/icons/image.gif">
> <a href="http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71818/index.php">1</a
> <http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71818/index.php%22%3E1%3C/a>> |
> <a href="http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71822/index.php">2</a<http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71822/index.php%22%3E2%3C/a>>
> ]</p>
>
> <p><a href="http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71803/index.php">12<http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71803/index.php%22%3E12>activists were arrested</a> on the Sunday before the weapons
> conference after a clown demonstration outside the house the head of the
> NZDIA. This was an <a href="
> http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71804/index.php">attempt<http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71804/index.php%22%3Eattempt>by the police</a> to stop people from protesting against the 2-day
> conference. On the second day of the conference several protests took place.
> Two people were arrested at a <a href="
> http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71833/index.php">noisy<http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/71833/index.php%22%3Enoisy>protest outside the museum</a> where the conference participants had their
> 'Awards Dinner' (one for allegedly stealing a police hat).</p>
>
> <p>Links: <a href="http://www.indymedia.org.nz">Aotearoa IMC</a> | <a
> href="http://paw.randomstatic.net ">Peace Action Wellington</a> | <a
> href="http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nowarp.htm">No<http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nowarp.htm%22%3ENo> WARP</a>
> | <a href=" http://www.indymedia.org/en/2005/10/826180.shtml">Protests<http://www.indymedia.org/en/2005/10/826180.shtml%22%3EProtests>2005</a></p>
>
> CONTENT:
>
> <p>The NZDIA has 39 member companies. These companies collaborate to
> promote the sale of weapons and weapons related products and services to
> customers overseas and to expand their market. In some cases the products
> that they are selling are specifically developed for military use. Lower
> Hutt-based company MAS Zegrange, for example, manufactures weapons firing
> control systems and communication systems for mortar and artillery
> batteries. In other cases, the products or services are used for both
> civilian and military use and are being specifically marketed to the armies
> of the world. </p>
>
> <p>The NZ Government has been an active supporter of the Defence Industry
> Association. In 2003, Trade and Industry NZ gave $100,000 to Flexisolutions
> to develop its jungle-sweeper grenade. Along with these grants, Trade and
> Industry assist members to capitalise on export markets. Members of the New
> Zealand Defence Force and the New Zealand Ministry of Defence are active
> supporters and participants in NZDIA activities. They participate through
> their Industry Liaison Managers who work closely with New Zealand companies
> to promote commercial opportunities in the supply of products and services.
> Auckland company Rakon Ltd is the sole supplier of an important component in
> the guided bombs made for the United States military and has received over
> $600,000 in Government funding.</p>
>
> <p>Their conference is an annual event and has been held at Te Papa
> (National Museum) since <a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0210/S00036.htm
> ">2002</a>. Peace activists have targeted this weapons conference since
> the start. In 2003, the <a href="http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/12684/index.php">conference
> <http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/12684/index.php%22%3Econference>was disrupted</a> by activists who dropped a big banner inside and one
> person was arrested for playing his tuba inside the museum. The following
> year around <a href="http://indymedia.org.nz/feature/display/22207/index.php">50<http://indymedia.org.nz/feature/display/22207/index.php%22%3E50>people rallied</a> outside. Last year saw the first attempt of a blockade.
> <a href=" http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/38303/index.php">70<http://indymedia.org.nz/newswire/display/38303/index.php%22%3E70>people participated in a sit-in</a> at the front entrance for an afternoon
> which resulted in 20 arrests.</p>
>
> <p>This year the aim was to blockade the conference, and this was made all
> the more easier thanks to the fencing erected around Te Papa; we only had to
> blockade the gaps they had left open. The march arrived and we immediately
> headed for the main gap left at the front entrance. After a short (but
> painful) scuffle this first blockade had settled in. After a bit of brief
> chanting, one activist began to read out the crimes of those insides,
> interspersed by periodic "blood, blood, blood on your hands" chants, and
> Food Not Bombs fed the crowd lots of food.</p>
>
> <p>Shortly after, sections of the 200 or so crowd were diverted to other
> entrances and instigated blockades at up to six entrances at one point.
> Police began to realise they had to do something and their first and only
> attempt to break up the blockades was made at the front entrance. Police
> bent hands, strangled, kneed backs, smashed heads, and used other pain
> tactics, but ultimately only encouraged another 40 or so people present to
> join and reinforce the blockade. Ten minutes later, the police had erected a
> fence behind this blockade, admitting defeat.</p>
>
> <p>The next three hours were characterised by fairly stable blockades of
> about 10-15 people at each one, and roving bands of protesters ready to jump
> in and fight back against the police or delegates at every opportunity. At
> one point, police tried to open the side of one of the fences to let a
> delegate through only to be rebuffed by about 30 people who pushed the fence
> closed and in fact pushed it well back beyond where it had originally stood.
> One of the cops got squeezed onto the wrong side of the fencing and the rest
> freaked and tried to drag him back over to their side; he was consequently
> pied. In another incident, the fencing broke and protesters forced it back,
> and police tried to stand ground. While they tried to fix it, they were
> drenched in water thrown at them, had their hats flicked off them and
> appropriated and were slapped, while they punched and batoned a few.</p>
>
> <p>Delegates trying to leave were forced to climb over fencing and spat
> on, harassed and screamed at. Many top army officers and others had to leave
> out the back with a heavy police contingent surrounding them.</p>
>
> <p>No arrests were made all day; the police simply could not risk the
> instant riot they would have spurred if anyone had been arrested. There was
> an amazing collective spirit and, while people may have never heard of a
> blockade at the start of the day, within 20 minutes most people were
> instigating their own blockades and coordinating linking arms on their own
> accord.</p>
>
> <p>In the end, as numbers began to dwindle, we came together in the front
> as one group and again, as these numbers dwindled, we left as one large
> group with no stragglers leaving the police no opportunity to pick anyone
> off.</p>
>