Wellington City Council tries to deny Socialists freedom of speech

Security guards hired by the Wellington City Council today tried to deny members of the Anti Capitalist Alliance the right to sell their party newspaper.

ACA members were told they didn't have a permit so were not allowed to set up a stall or sell newspapers in the Cuba mall area.

The Wellington City council is currently debating the Public Spaces Bylaw which in its current form would mean any group wishing to sell papers or hand out leaflets would need permission.

However this proposed bylaw has faced considerable opposition and has yet to be voted on by the city council. When ACA members were asked to leave by security, ACA members present told them that as the bylaw had yet to pass they did not need permission to sell newspapers - therefore would not be leaving.

A few minutes latter a police officer arrived and took the name and contact details of one of the paper sellers, then

Recently The Spark, the party newspaper of the ACA being sold in Cuba St had an article critical of the WCC's Public spaces bylaw. This was published on April 26th 2004 and can be seen at http://www.wpnz.tk/

The Wellington branch of the Anti Capitalist Alliance intend to keep doing weekly paper sales in Cuba St, as they and other socialist organisations have been doing for many years.

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