Hone Harawira arrested

Quality Housing For All

Protesters that on Thursday afternoon occupied a state home that had been taken from Glen Innes to Mt Wellington, have been being arrested by police. Mana party leader Hone Harawira has been arrested along with three other protesters.

The Tamaki Housing Action Group has been fighting against the removal of houses and eviction of families. The agreement signed by Mayor Len Brown and the Minister of Housing Phil Heatley in August has seen the formation of the Tamaki Redevelopment Company which serves to gentrify the working-class suburb of Pasifika and Maori families. THAG says this is pulling apart their community for the purpose of privatizing houses owned by the public.

On Tuesday protestors occupied the Auckland Town Hall where Brown's office is. GI resident Makelesi Ngata said, “Glen Innes is a community, not a company. The benefits our people, especially our young people, get from belonging to a strong community like GI – these benefits should never be sold for short-term profits.”

For six months protestors have been picketing the twice weekly house removals from Glen Innes, getting arrested and then released with no charges. Protestors have been injured in these pickets: last week a 22-year-old female was concussed when the the police line violently pushed protestors up the road.

Houses are being removed under the cover of night whilst Housing New Zealand has closed its offices in Glen Innes shutting down the ability of state house tenants to talk directly to the government agency. Residents have been coming out, but the presence of paddy-wagons and scores of police officers is intimidating. Housing New Zealand has been sending officials out to tenants' homes telling them if they protest their house will be next.

ENDS

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