24 September 2001

Emergency response vigil details: if the US government begins retaliatory missile strikes or bombing, people will gather at the following places on the day any such attacks begin: in Wellington - gather at 5pm, at the Cenotaph (cnr Bowen Street, in front of the Beehive); in Napier - gather at 5pm in Clive Square; in Auckland - gather at 5pm, in Aotea Square; in Christchurch - gather at 5-30pm, outside the Cathedral in the Square; in Dunedin - gather at 5pm in the Octagon.

Current listings of vigils, rallies and meetings for peace:

~ Tuesday, 25 September, Wellington - rally with speakers, and vigil, in support of Mordechai Vanunu (whistle blower who exposed Israel's nuclear weapons programme who has now been held in prison for 15 years, including 11 and a half years in solitary confinement), 12 noon on parliament steps. This vigil is linked with similar vigils in the USA, Britain, Norway, and Israel at midday in each country.

~ Wednesday, 26 September, Auckland - Inter Faith Peace Event, join with the diverse faith communities of our campus for readings from sacred scripture, meditations and time for prayer, 12-10pm, Maclaurin Chapel, University of Auckland, 18 Princes Street.

~ Wednesday, 26 September, Dunedin - 'From Crisis To Peace', a public forum - a range of speakers from all perspectives including Otago University academics specialising in Middle Eastern Politics, American Foreign Policy, Religious Studies, various community groups: Amnesty International, Environment Centre, as well representatives from the Muslim and Arab community; questions and discussion from the floor. A chance to promote greater understanding and more accurate and informed dialogue with in our community; 7pm, Student Union Building, Cumberland Street. For more info contact Michelle, tel (03) 479 5332, fax (03) 479 5346, lets_email_michelle@yahoo.com

~ Friday, 28 September, Wellington - vigil in support of Mordechai Vanunu (whistle blower who exposed Israel's nuclear weapons programme who has now been held in prison for 15 years, including 11 and a half years in solitary confinement), from 11am to 1-30pm, outside the Israeli Embassy, DB Tower, 111 The Terrace. This annual vigil marks the anniversary of Mordechai's imprisonment, 30 September 1986.

~ Saturday 29 September - John Campbell interviews Noam Chomsky, 8-25am, National Radio.

~ Saturday, 29 September, Auckland - march to stop the US war! a rally, march and vigil to show NZ's opposition to the US government's preparation for war against Afghanistan. It is clear that the US government's reaction to the terrorist attacks in Washington and New York will result in the deaths of more innocent people; a further concern expressed is the racist attacks against Moslems and people from the middle east: events such as recent attacks on mosques in Hamilton and Auckland. 4pm, rally at QE2 square; 5pm, march through Queen St; 6pm, vigil in Aotea Square. For further information contact Michael Beggs tel 021 455 762.

~ Sunday, 30 September - Peace picnic, 2pm in the Octagon, and every Sunday thereafter until further notice.

If you would like your vigil, rally or meeting for peace listed on this page, please send details of your event (including contact details for at least one of the people organising it) to

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Peace Movement Aotearoa
the national networking peace organisation
PO Box 9314, Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand
Tel +64 4 382 8129 Fax +64 4 382 8173
pma@xtra.co.nz http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/
Internet Peace Gateway - http://www.peace.org.nz
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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>>