Auckland - Organisers of Saturday's protest claim up to 50,000 people marched up Queen St united in their opposition against the National-led Government's plans to mine conservation land and national parks.

The Sign On website stated the march was the biggest in living memory.

Organisers of the protest wrote: “We expected 20,000. We HOPED for 30,000. We got nearly double that. In the biggest protest march in living memory,  50,000 turned out on Queen Street today to march against the Government's mining plans.

“Greenpeace ambassador Robyn Malcolm also puts it pretty good when she says: "For nearly 50,000 Kiwis to turn out and be prepared to speak with one voice, must tell the Government something. And that something is this: we, the people of NZ get it; we get the argument, we see what you’re up to and we won’t have it. Our land will always be more important to our identity than some extra dollars in the pockets of mining companies.”

“Take heed, John Key and your Government. Had you been there today on Queen Street, you would have felt an energy untapped since the heady days of anti-nuclear marches. New Zealanders have spoken; you must listen. We will not stand by while you squander our land, reputation and climate,” the organisers stated.

Home Page | HeadLines | Previous Story | Next Story

Copyright (c) Scoop Media

Scoop Business: Court Overturns Crafar Farms Sale Decision

The decision allowing sale of the Crafar dairy farms to Chinese investor Shanghai Pengxin has been set aside, with the High Court directing Ministers to reconsider the application.

Judge Forrest Miller found that the Overseas Investment Office's recommendation to allow the purchase to occur "materially overstated" the economic benefit of the transaction to the New Zealand economy. More>>