Media Release: Stop the War at Home
From: Auckland Peace Action
Date: 10 February 2017

“Auckland Peace Action will join No Pride in Prison’s March against Mass Incarceration tomorrow at midday at Aotea Square. As an anti – militarisation group it may not be immediately obvious why we are doing so,” said APA spokeswoman Virginia Lambert.

“It is our view that prisons constitute a war at home. These institutions are part of a slow, inexorable war waged by those with power on the poor, people of colour, immigrants and all marginalised groups in our society. Prisons are one of the most potent weapons in this conflict.”

“A Peace group has a responsbility to stand against wars of all kinds. The prison system systematically persecutes, humiliates and permanently damages the most vulnerable among us. They are used as a source of slave labour in order to enrich our rulers.”

“We know that they cause far more criminal activity than they prevent, and New Zealand’s policy of mass incarceration disproportionately targeting poor, predominantly Māori and Pacific Island communities is nothing less than an attempt to destroy those communities. Mass imprisonment breaks families apart, destroys social cohesion and creates poverty by removing wage – earners from these communities. Prisons have no right to exist.”

Auckland Peace Action is proud to stand in solidarity with No Pride in Prisons on Saturday the 11th of February to call for an end to mass incarceration. We wholeheartedly support their demands for an end to new prison construction and a reform of bail laws to put an end to the mass incarceration of people on remand, wherein people are imprisoned for extended periods without having been found guilty of an offence. The struggle for peace will not be won until government’s stop waging war on their own citizens as well as those of other nations.

Down with the prison state! Victory to the abolitionists!

ENDS

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