Media Release: Protest picket at Australian Embassy
From: Wellington Anarchist Black Cross
Date: Monday, 29 June 2009

There will be a noisy protest picket outside of the Australian Embassy in Wellington on Tuesday 30 June at 12:30 in support of Sina Brown-Davis (Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara), a political activist and mother facing charges of rioting, affray and criminal damage in relation to the G20 Economic Summit in Melbourne in 2006. Sina’s trial begins in Melbourne on Tuesday and her charges carry a term of imprisonment of up to 25 years.

"This trial isn't about Sina. It is about the neo-liberal economic order and the agenda of the G20. It is neo-colonisation. The corporations are carrying out the same colonial agenda running rampant over land rights, human rights and regard for the environment. This economic fundamentalism must be seen through the lens of the current economic recession and the disproportionate impacts it has on indigenous and other vulnerable communities.

This directly relates to the PACER trade agreement due to be rammed down the throats of Pacific peoples during this year's Pacific Islands Forum in Cairns. PACER stands for Pacific Area Closer Economic Relations. It is an extension of the CER between Australia and New Zealand to most Pacific Island nations. This so-called ‘free-trade agreement’ will devastate pacific people as their markets are pried open and cheaply made foreign goods are dumped there. There local services will be privatised, and ultimately, communally-held land will be divided up and sold off."

"The Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) is calling for people in Wellington to support Sina by coming along to the picket today. She is a dedicated activist working for justice for indigenous peoples and against neo-colonial trade agreements under the guise of ‘free trade’. Her trial is a farce. She is charged with nothing more than holding a sign and yelling. The Australian government simply wants to make an example of her in order to silence any voices of dissent" said Sally Darity of the ABC

‘The Wellington Anarchist Black Cross is a revolutionary prisoner support group, and fights for the abolition of prisons. We are opposed to all forms of domination and exploitation. We are part of a global network supporting political prisoners and we invite people along to support the picket today.’

ENDS

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