PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 8 2005
'Stop Climate Change & the G8: demonstrate!'
Date: 7 July 2005
From: the Wellington anti-G8 organising group
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'Stop Climate Change & the G8: demonstrate!'

Protesters will be demonstrating in the streets of Wellington today in solidarity with anti G8 protesters in Scotland.

Today the leaders of the world's eight most powerful states meet in Gleneagles, Scotland. Protests have been organised outside the G8 summit and around the world, including Wellington. Spokesperson Toni Heke says, "Protesters in Scotland are aiming to stop the G8 and highlight the injustices fed by their influence on third world debt, international trade and climate change, amongst other things. We are demonstrating to show our solidarity with these protesters and to make the link between the G8 summit and issues affecting Aotearoa."

"Today is also the 'Global Day of Action Against the Root Causes of Climate Change' so we are targeting three corporations and government agencies in Aotearoa/NZ that are contributing to climate change right here at home."

A 'Tour of Capitalist Nonsense' will be starting at Midland Park at 11:45am today outside Mobil's headquarters. It will then weave it's way through the city on foot, on skates or on bikes to visit MFAT and the Minister for the Environment's office. Street theatre and lots of noise has been planned including an auction of all that is in the way of multi-lateral free trade agreements – such as Te Tiriti o Waitangi and workers' rights - and a game of 'pin the fangs on the vile politician who feeds off the blood of the planet'.

US based company Exxon-Mobil is being targeted for providing funds and facilities to the Indonesian military, TNI, to wage a brutal military campaign in Acheh - a poor but oil-rich province fighting for independence and devastated by last year's tsunami. They are also being targeted for denying that climate change is a serious issue and spending millions sabotaging US participation in the Kyoto Protocol.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) is responsible for pushing free trade agreements with countries such as China and Thailand. Free trade agreements negatively affect clothes manufacturers here and dairy farmers in Thailand. People in all three countries lose jobs and livelihoods as governments and large corporations haggle over prices. We are asking people to buy local, support community and reduce fossil-fuel use that causes climate change.

Marian Hobbs has proved herself incompetent as Minister for the Environment. She has failed to prevent genetically engineered crops being allowed into the country, or the long fought motorway 'Bypass' through Wellington. Now Hobbs is standing by while a new coalmine in a rare kiwi habitat in Happy Valley is given approval. She is also refusing to take responsibility for the first major coal-fired power station proposal in the country for over 25 years - Marsden B, which will dump 2 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, further adding to the climate chaos. She has no environmental background and isn't doing her job. We will encourage people not to vote her back in this year.

"We are the dissenters. We are the resistance against this global domination. We are every minority who is now beginning to speak and every majority who is now beginning to shut up and listen. And we are ever ywhere..." quote from Subcomandante Marcos of the EZLN in Mexico.

Stop the G8 and Climate Change: Free Trade Costs the Earth
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Below are the rest of the events for Wellington organised in solidarity with the G8 protests around the globe:

Fri 8 July

11:45am Demonstration - Midland Park
'Tour of capitalist nonsense' leaves 12 noon
Coal Mining & Free Trade cost the Earth
Walk, skate or bike - make some noise!

7:30pm Film Screening - Thistle Hall, Cuba St
'Kotahi te Ao' demo film (5 mins) http://www.kotahiao.org
'Berlusconi's Mousetrap' (2 hrs - 2001 Genoa protests) with intro from Sam Buchanan who was there.

Sat 9 July

12-3pm Teach-In - Aro Valley Community Hall
Maxine Gay (workers rights), Dr. Maria Bargh (neo-liberalism, free trade), Jon Oosterman
(climate change), and Yilma Tafere Tasew (the G8 & Africa) - koha, childcare available

7pm Community Dinner - St. John's, Dixon St
Achehnese & Palestinian food. Fundraiser for the Wellington Palestine Group & Peace
Action Wellington with photographer Cam Burnell (Acheh), Keith Locke (West Papua) & Katrina Baylis and film (Palestine) - $12/8

Throughout the week:
Indymedia Centre - live news & updates from global anti-G8 demos, Cake Shop 166 Cuba St

ENDS

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