Fri, 8 Oct 2004

Queer Solidarity With Ethnic Minorities

PrideAlliance calls upon the queer community to support the March for a Multicultural Aotearoa in Wellington this month.

"Many heterosexuals participated in the counter-protest against Destiny Church's homophobia in August," said PrideAlliance spokesperson Kelly Buchanan. "Now it's our turn to show support for the wider community."

The march has been organised by MCA (Multicultural Aotearoa) in response to an anti-Asian rally planned for the same day by fascist organisation the National Front. This far-right white supremacist group has been linked with numerous violent crimes against people and property in the Wellington region.

"Though their current public focus is Asians, the National Front is also a virulently homophobic group," said Ms Buchanan. "They participated in Destiny's anti-Civil Union rally, and are just as much a threat to us as they are to Jews and non-whites."

Vernon Tile, Alliance Party spokesperson on Human Rights, said "the National Front's attempt to blame Asians for New Zealand's troubles is reprehensible and completely without foundation. The responsibility for local jobs being lost to foreign companies lies firmly on the shoulders of the Labour/National double act, whose shared Free Trade agenda has devastated New Zealand industry."

"The government should also be doing more to help immigrants and refugees integrate in to New Zealand life," continued Mr Tile. "In particular, many highly skilled immigrants need more assistance in qualifying for suitable jobs in this country. Immigrants are capable of making a valuable contribution to New Zealand's culture and economy."

The March for a Multicultural Aotearoa is endorsed by PrideAlliance and the Alliance Party, along with many other organisations and prominent individuals. It will depart from the courtyard of Te Papa at noon, Saturday 23 October.

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>>