6 August, 2004

Greens condemn racist outrage

The Green Party has condemned the desecration of over 90 graves and the torching of the Jewish chapel at Wellington's Makara cemetery as an outrage and unacceptable in a country that prides itself on tolerance and respect for all communities.

"Such racist acts have no place in our community," said Keith Locke, the Green Party's Human Rights spokesperson. "On behalf of the Green Party, I extend our sympathy to the Jewish community and those families directly affected."

Mr Locke expressed his solidarity with New Zealand Jewish people in a letter to the Jewish Chronicle after the desecration of 16 graves at another Wellington cemetery a couple of weeks ago.

"It is repugnant that a disturbed individual or group is targeting sites of particular historic and emotional significance to the Wellington Jewish community. This goes way beyond intolerance: this is persecution and we encourage the Police to give this case the highest priority."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>