Aotearoa Independent Media Centre

Monday October 19 was a national day of action against ACC's proposed changes to funding for sexual abuse counseling. Under the new criteria, survivors will only be eligible for ACC covered counseling if they have been diagnosed as having a mental injury, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV.

In Auckland, over 200 people gathered in Albert Park to show their support for survivors and protest the ACC cuts to counseling. Speakers from Rape Prevention Education, Courageous Women, Labour Party, the Greens and End Rape Culture Now! (the organisers of the march) spoke about the importance of this issue and why it is necessary to oppose these new changes to ACC. [ More ]

In Wellington, about 200 people gathered at the Cenotaph in Lambton Quay, and rallied in front of parliament. Protestors left messages chalked in front of parliament building. The march then moved on to the ACC offices in Molesworth Street, which was protected by a handful of cops and security goons. A representative read out a list of demands to ACC. Protestors left post-it notes and chalk messages on the street-face of the building to explicate the positions of abuse survivors in the crowd.[ More ]

Around 150-200 people gathered for a march in Christchurch. Speakers included Ken Clearwater from Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust and Marie Meyer, Chairperson for Canterbury and Westcoast NZ Association of Counsellors.[ More ]

In dunedin around 50 people from all walks of life marched from ACC offices to the National Party headquarters and then to the octagon to listen to speakers talk about the impact these changes will have. [ More ]

Two years ago to the day, New Zealand woke to the so-called 'Terror Raids'. Police Operation 8 was in full swing; Ruatoki was locked down, a school bus was stopped, other children were held in sheds and over 60 different places across the country were raided. 17 people ended up remanded in custody. It took a month for all of them to get bail. Remember 15th October 2007 - Drop the charges!

The long-awaited Explosive Expressions Art Exhibition opened at Thistle Hall on Tuesday night in Wellington with crowds gathered outside waiting for the doors to open before the 6pm advertised time. The artworks have been viewable on-line for some weeks now, but were well worth queueing to get into the Gallery to see face-to-paint. [ More ]

The October 15th Solidarity group asks "Is it an act of provocation and arrogance or just simple ignorance that the Justice and Electoral Select Committee is meeting on the 15th of October to hear submissions on the Search and Surveillance Bill? [...] This bill legalises the dodgy and arguably illegal police tactics used in Operation 8. It is not at all extreme to suggest that this law creates a police state. The Parliamentary response to police breaking the law should not be to retrospectively legalise what they have done and give them more power." [ More ]

Christian peace activist Tyler Culpepper appeared in the Manukau District court yesterday charged with wilful damage and being unlawfully on a building. These charges were a result of a protest action in January this in which Tyler altered the front of an arms component factory so it said “Rakon Kills”. Tyler had taken this action to express his deeply held opposition against Israel’s invasion of GAZA. The January invasion resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, the targeting of civilian infrastructure and the widespread bombing of heavily populated areas.

Tylers hearing was well attended with a mini protest camp springing up outside. A gas stove provided constant cups of tea and Lasagne and Cake where served throughout the day. Around a dozen children and young people were present throughout the day playing tag outside and around the court building. One young child threw court protocol to the wind at one stage running past the lawyers completely oblivious to arcane rules and institutions. He was unfortunately foiled in his attempt to offer the judge a chip. The three “Waihopai Dome Busters” were present throughout the day offering support for Tyler.

From October 27 ACC is changing its criteria for covering the cost of counseling for survivors of sexual abuse. Under the new criteria, survivors will only be eligible for ACC covered counseling if they have been diagnosed as having a mental injury, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV.

According to Dr Peter Jansen, ACC clinical director in charge of the proposed changes, “ACC's legislative role is clearly defined. We are only able to assist those who have a diagnosed significant mental injury resulting from the abuse/assault they've suffered,” and the rule change is aimed at bringing ACC practice in line with legislation.

But Dr Kim McGregor, who chairs the tauiwi (Pakeha) section of the National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together, has said that “some counsellors are ethically opposed to using a psychiatric diagnosis for sexual violence.”

Making survivors jump through bureaucratic hoops to get the support they need contributes to the trauma of sexual abuse by further disempowering people who've already been through a traumatic and disempowering experience.

Creative resistance against colonial and state oppression will be celebrated in Wellington with an art exhibition and auction at Thistle Hall Gallery, Cuba Street in Wellington. October 15th Solidarity invites everyone to Explosive Expression.

The opening night of the exhibition on October 13th will be followed by a week of events, which will be an opportunity for discussion and debate about the raids on Te Urewera and communities around Aotearoa, the 'war on terrorism', colonisation and resistance. The auction is also an opportunity for the community to support creative resistance and assistance with funds for people affected by the raids.

Bids for all works can be made on-line; visit www.October15thSolidarity.info/artauction to view the works and bids can be emailed to info@October15thSolidarity.info  until 12noon on the day of the auction.

Workers Party Press Release: Workers Party activists Heleyni Pratley and Joel Cosgrove have been trespassed from Victoria University for two years for participating in a student protest against University fee rises of over 90%.

Joel was involved in the throwing of a solitary egg which did not hit anyone.  Heleyni threw nothing and instead stood prominently holding a Workers Party banner calling for ‘free education from kindergarten to PhD’. They and other activists cleaned up the eggshells before leaving.

Let us be very clear. Joel has been trespassed for throwing an egg which he cleaned up afterwards. Heleyni has been trespassed for nothing other than speaking her mind. She is being publicly attacked by the university for exercising her democratic right to protest and express free speech. She is being punished to make an example to anybody else, student or otherwise, who is considering standing up to university injustice.

Jennifer Graham is the woman who was evicted from her housetruck in Central Wellington earlier this year. Jennifer had been parked on Stout St for some 20 weeks when the Council showed up, evicted her onto the streets and sold her housetruck for $3600 worth of unpaid fines. They said she was camping and quoted some obscure council bylaw.

Following this, she was on the streets for 6 weeks and set up house just outside the WCC offices. She was arrested for trespass but when she arrived for court, the police advised her that they were dropping the charges. She said that wasn't good enough – she wasn't even allowed to have her say – so she said she would continue to cause trouble for them. So they then trespassed her from the District court. When she refused to sign her bail bond, they sent her to Arohata for 6 days.

Please note there is another picket at 6am on Thursday 17th at Bridgeman Plant, 55 Crooks Road, East Tamaki. Police presence likely as we block cement trucks again.

“An indefinite lock-out of workers by Bridgeman Concrete in Manukau City shows increasing employer militancy taking advantage of the recession and growing unemployment,” says Robert Reid, General Secretary of the National Distribution Union.

“The Bridgeman lock-out is an appalling example of an employer paying under industry rates with inferior redundancy agreements and trying to starve its workers into submission.  These workers are key for Auckland infrastructure projects and start work early every day while the rest of the country is asleep.  These guys are the battlers.  They are the unsung heroes who help build a better life for us all.  Yet they are shown no respect by an employer who will not even front up to the workers and hides behind his hired gun,” says Robert Reid.

More: Photos | NDU | Warehouse Profits at Expense of Workers during Recession

Other disputes: Polytech strike photos | For workers' control! - Lessons of recent struggles in the UK | Subway workers hold 'no fare' protest and strike in Buenos Aires | Organising the precariat in Israel-Palestine

Upcoming actions: EPMU Telecom picket on the corner of Ponsonby Rd and Hopetoun Street, Auckland at 7.30am Monday 21^st September | NDU Bridgeman picket 6am on Thursday 17th at Bridgeman Plant, 55 Crooks Road, East Tamaki

With the Government forcing a pay freeze on the public sector, minimum wage workers will likely be offered nothing when the Government reviews their pay at the end of the year. The National Party promised tax cuts and rising wages but so far has delivered less than nothing for low wage workers. Each week hundreds of workers are heading out into the street calling for wage increases that meet the rising cost of living, job security and protection from redundancy. They are being met by the neo-liberal corporate class and their lackeys in the state services that wants nothing more than to crush the unions a la 1991 and the Employment Contracts Act.

Get active: Movement for a living wage | libcom.org/organise | Socialist Aotearoa