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Occupy Auckland protest in Aotea Square this afternoon
Rugby fans heading on the Fan Trail this afternoon for the Rugby World Cup semi-final at Eden Park seemed most confused by hundreds of others walking towards Aotea Square at the same time waving a range of placards.
“Pourquoi sont-ils protesté?” asked a group of obvious French rugby supporters.
They found it hard to to know as the placards were wide ranging, especially to those whose primary language was French.
While many were aimed at corporate greed, some gave a nod to the Rena situation, protesting the planned oil drilling offshore.
This Occupy Auckland march up Queen St and protest meeting was an attempt to mirror the Occupy Wall Street protests in the US and some protestors came with sleeping bags and tents to occupy Aotea Square for up to 6 weeks.
80 set themselves up in 12 tents to stay for the first night.
Good to see the police talking up video photography as an extra curriculum activity
Not quite the play RWC envisaged in Aotea Square
UPDATE
Photos of the tent village set up
19 Comments
LOL…. I hope they are out and about tonight…. Can have a laugh at their expense…
hahaha… I dont understand protestors.
We are the 99%. That’s all that you need to know Chris.
Laugh at their expense? Not understand protesters? You ignorant, ignorant people. This occupy movement restores my faith in humanity, they’re fighting to make this world a better place! Show some respect.
“they’re fighting to make this world a better place”
Really? I agree there is a lot wrong with the world, but do you think that camping out in Aotea square with some “stop corporate greed” signs is going to change anything? Im sure you can thing of better ways to help the world become a better place.
BTW check out the “we are the 53%” movement in the USA.
Ah, classic New Zealand - “Fairness And Wealth! And Go All Blacks!”
Interview half the people down there and I bet they couldn’t tell you why they were there. Why don’t you all try a movement to stop buying their products then? What’s that? Too hard?
While I do like the idea of people speaking out for what they believe in, there are far too many different messages on these signs to have any effect. It was just a protest for the sake of a protest. And is that an advertisement I see on one sign?
I too am scratching my head.
Instead of John Key’s mugshot and “Building a brighter future… for the 1%” I would have gone with “Building a brighter future … in Hawaii”
Don’t they know that street marches and camp-ins are ineffective political activism? Surely they must know that writing volumes of comments on obscure public transportation blogs is a sure way to change the system.
Go the Wallabies!!! 
Criticize something you profess to know nothing about Travis and Chris1.thats smart!
@Scott, lolz, your smugness is breath-taking.
Sorry for having a laugh about it…but complaining about greed while flying a Unite Union flag is hysterical…..
seriously? so i guess apathy is the way to address the issues facing us as a result of our societal mode of operation. I don’t understand people who reproach others for actively seeking to establish a discourse whereby previously marginalized issues can be articulated. Corporate greed and ownership of our laughably called democratic state, is antagonistic to the foundational principles of those on the left and right of the political spectrum. Neither, insofar as im aware, advocates for a distancing of venues of power from access by the people. Yet the system as it is currently being manipulated, consistently filters wealth to the very top, extracted from the very bottom at its most exploitative. Capitalism was introduced to redistribute power to that class that felt discluded from political process (property class), however is manipulated by the very same concentrations of power its introduction was introduced to split up; its just instead of kingdoms or empires we call them financial institutions. We need to rethink power as a concept and realize power in all forms is projected and acted upon by humans, not profit.
“so i guess apathy is the way to address the issues facing us as a result of our societal mode of operation.”
We are not apathetic, but rather than sitting on our lazy arses protesting about the success of others, we get up Mon-Friday and go to work to earn money.
I’m not sure why these people think they’re entitled to handouts. And how they can than protest “corporations” by wearing Rayban Wayfarer and texting on iPhones??
The turnout looks about 50% scumbag, 50% douchebag.
There is an old adage that goes “Be careful what you wish for you might just get it” - This surely applies to many protestors at that protest yesterday who have little idea of the consequences of the changes they wish for.
Intersting book though is “The Enigma of Capital and the Crises of Capitalism” by David Harvey - has some interesting insights.
Good on all these people. Actually doing something to make a difference. Lets bring back equality.
@ tbird….
Firstly, many of the people involved in this movement have jobs and even if they don’t, many of them are studying/raising families and contributing to society just as much as you think you are. So you’re showing your ignorance there and a propensity to stereotype.
Secondly, you think that you’re not apathetic because you get up Mon-Fri to go to work? That’s your way of contributing to the solution of the myriad of inisidious problems that affect our society?
And finally…What exactly is your definition of “success”? Is it an uneven and unjust distribution of resources…is it allowing corporations to screw over people and our environment in its chase for pieces of paper? If that’s how you define success, I feel really sorry for the lack of depth that you seem to experience as a human being.
This movement is about people wanting something different from our current morally bankrupt system. And you call them lazy. Because they want change and are trying to do something about it. You have no idea how much work is going on with the occupation and how much organisation is required to mobilise people in such a way to get them to wake up from their foggy lives to create positive change. It’s exhausting, quite frankly.
These protestors don’t profess to have all of the answers. We are united in our want for societal change and we are finding our way, one step at a time.
My suggestion is that you come down to Aotea Square, talk to some of the people involved and broaden your mind. And after you’ve educated yourself, you’ll have the right to an opinion.
“Actually doing something to make a difference.”
Hahaha, yeah. There are layabouts on Queen Street most of the time anyway. They hold cardboard signs, stink of shit, and beg for money. These guys just have bigger signs.
“And after you’ve educated yourself, you’ll have the right to an opinion.”
Kristie, you’re a bit stuck-up if you think you can tell me when I’m allowed or not allowed to have an opinion. Are people not allowed to disagree with your world-view?
What is the movement about? Nothing.
What alternatives do they have in mind? None.
They are completely free to not use money, to barter off each other. They’re completely able to live in a smaller home, bike instead of drive, and not buy Sky TV. But no. They want to sit at home all day, smoking weed, getting other people to pay for their luxuries.
There’s nothing stopping the guy with the Trademe sign giving his money to help one of the young solo mothers, but he instead bought a $1000 camera. Hypocrite.
You and these people are the ones who are morally bankrupt. You’re allowed to have an opinion, but what make you think you’re entitled to force your beliefs on others? How dare you tell me what to think.
@ tbird
I’d like to amend what I said previously regarding your right to an opinion, as what I wrote was a reactionary response. Of course you have a right to an opinion…everyone does.
However, until you stop using unfounded and unfair stereotypes, unfortunately, your opinion will remain an uneducated one. But, you can do something positive to change that. Find out about the issues involved. They are really good people down at the occupation and are more than willing to engage in conversation with you and anyone else who is interested.
The issues we are trying to problem-solve are deep-rooted, multi-faceted and certainly not simple…but the way we can find solutions is by working as a community and workshopping ideas. It’s a start, at any rate.
Although people are free, as you say, to reject parts of society they disagree with and simplify their lives, that would be ignoring the larger global problems and wouldn’t be a completely effective response. You need to think about the bigger picture. We are a global community and what we do affects everybody & vice versa. There are too many problems to just sit back and go “oh well, business as usual”.
This is bigger than just a bunch of people occupying a space in central Auckland. This is a massive world-wide movement involving thousands of people, of all ages, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds…from all walks of life.
Encouragingly, most people who have approached the camp in Aotea Square, both NZers and overseas tourists (even the rugby fans, none of whom have been inconvenienced by this occupation) seem to be understanding, positive and very supportive about the occupy movement. Come down and have a chat…you might be surprised.
Weep for America? Weep for islam friendly New Zealand…
(Have you hugged a halal compliant sheep today?)