Prebble's Rebels Constantly Miss the Point

"The Otago Prebble's Rebels (Campus ACT Party) claim they were assaulted and denied their freedom of speech whilst participating in an Otago University Student's Association protest against student debt. Protest organisers, who included members of not only Otago University Students' Association but also Polytech and College of Education students, challenge their claim that they were assaulted by protesters.

"Certainly the two members of ACT who stood at the front of the march with a large placard had their placard covered by a protest placard, and were taunted by other protesters. They were not assaulted. If they feel they were assaulted they should lay charges with the police, or stop their blatant lie.

"It is patently stupid for an ACT group to expect support from a protest against student debt - policies such as ACT's only worsen the country's student debt problem. Yesterday at Otago campus Richard Prebble suggested that he would like to see student loans sold to investors.

"Considering that Prebble's Rebels were using the march as a platform for their conflicting viewpoint it is surprising that they received as little verbal abuse as they did. Perhaps most march goers thought they were as pathetic as the student who dressed up as a communist solider in an attempt to discredit the march.

"The most intriguing claim by local mad-dog-in-waiting, Clint Heine, is that protesters "... do not believe in freedom of speech ...". How someone from a party can spend so much on advertising, and receive more media coverage than their size warrants, can claim that their freedom of speech is contravened after failing to hi-jack someone else's march is beyond belief. It would be like students complaining that ACT won't let them put Free Education posters on the front of the ACT bus.

"Further, Prebble's Rebels have been invited to speak at several student protests and have steadfastly declined. They have even declined debates and forums on campus so far this year.

ENDS

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