Wednesday 16 November
Press Release: People for Peace

Uniting for Peace – March in Auckland.

This Saturday, November 19th, hundreds of peace advocates will unite for a colourful, creative, visual, and vocal March for Peace. This will take place from 2pm outside Auckland’s Town Hall and Aotea Square, and is organised by “People for Peace”.

With a chant from John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance”, the march will proceed to Britomart and conclude by 4pm.

This week, in conjunction with the navy’s 75th birthday, there is to be a weapons conference and expo held at Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre.
In addition, 15 warships will be visiting our city. People for Peace are asking if these activities really fit with most people’s perception of a peaceful New Zealand.

Speaking at AUT last night, Australian physician, author, and anti-nuclear advocate Dr Helen Caldicott said that by letting the warships into our harbour we were, “welcoming a feast of militarism”. Referring to the sponsors of the weapons conference and expo she added that we should never let Lockheed Martin in here. She told the focused audience that the world is now closer to nuclear war than it ever has been.

Recollecting the massive peace marches of the eighties, long-time activist Laurie Ross reflects, “New Zealand has a proud heritage as a Nuclear Free Peacemaker nation, enshrined in 1987 legislation. We must work pro-actively and purposefully to develop our Peacekeeping, Peacemaking, and Peace-building foreign policy.”
“This also means that New Zealanders must ensure that the billion dollar weapons industry is not again permitted to promote its warfare culture under the guise of security and business in this country. As thinking people we recognise that the global military/industrial complex is selling an obsolete concept of militarism that is no longer acceptable to civilised people who care about humanity” she said.

“People for Peace is calling on Mums, Dads, Grandparents, Teachers, Doctors, Secretaries, Trades Unions, Political Parties, in fact everyone, to stand with our concerns regarding new and ugly war issues that are emerging, and that have now apparently arrived here in our own back yard,” says People for Peace spokesperson Lisa Er. “Although some of the battleship are assisting with people affected by the earthquakes in Kaikoura, it is their other role that we find abhorrent,” she said.

Before the march there will be family-friendly activities such as musical performances, an Extreme Ironing Flashmob for peace, and 40 white doves will be released as the march begins.

People for Peace are inviting participants to make the march a positive and friendly event in spite of the serious issues. They are encouraging people, especially children, to come in dress ups, such as animals for peace, fairies for peace, cave men for peace, princes and princesses for peace, or hippies for peace!

Of course well-worded banners are a great traditional way to get the message across.

The March for Peace is an opportunity for the public to show their enthusiasm for a peaceful New Zealand, and for the importance of upholding Auckland as a Peace City.

ENDS

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