Subscribe to RSSOccupy Auckland: Council Says Go
Auckland Council has told the Occupy Auckland protestors occupying the tents in Aotea Square that it’s time to go.
And it is. They have taken over a large section of a space where people can enjoy during sunny lunchtimes.
They’ve done so in the guise of being aligned to the US protest movement where here they have been showing Maori sovereignty flags and pro-legalising cannabis signs which have nothing to do with the issues around capitalism, high unemployment and financial rorts in the US.
No other group could grab their flatmates and take over a public square and have free rent for months.
But don’t expect the protestors to be moving on anytime soon.
The Council are taking a softly softy approach suggesting they won’t get heavy unless all approaches fail.
Based on the timid approach of the Dunedin cops, the protestors haven’t much to worry about.
Dunedin cops are refusing to take any notice of Dunedin Council’s pleas to act on the Council’s trespass orders.
And the Police confirm it’ll be the same here as they’ll be taking a nationally consistent approach.
They say because of Bill of Rights implications, the Police won’t be enforcing trespass orders, as has been the case in Dunedin.
The Council’s action comes just a day or so after 8 Councillors said the protestors are breaching a bylaw prohibiting unauthorised camping in a public place and it was time to get a court order to evict them.
Auckland Council tonight announced it’s presented a formal request to those camping in Aotea Square asking them to leave and to identify a specific date for their departure.
If the request for a specific date of departure is ignored, council will issue a trespass notice on the campers.
Occupy Auckland: Council wants them out but cops refuse to help
The council says it’s following “strict legal guidelines” with regard to the campers.
Auckland Council’s General Counsel Wendy Brandon. says: “We have been in constant discussions with the campers and they have accepted all of council’s requests, such as security, food hygiene and noise, except they continue to ignore our request to leave,
The council is in regular contact with the Police with regard to the campers.
Auckland Council will exhaust all reasonable steps prior to seeking any enforcement action.
“It is the view of Auckland Council that it is time the space occupied by the campers in Aotea Square is returned to the people of Auckland.”
28 Comments
too damn right they need to move their ass! as mentioned in the post, the Maori flag has nothing to do with capitalism.
Further more… I can bet you I won’t find one tent there that has been made by the owner… all bought, from companies, giving them millions for their products… exactly the same as the likes of green peace going about their mission for cleaner greener ways and yet, still, they use a ship the burns tonnes of fuel a year! Its about time these protestors actually wake up to the image they project!
The New Zealand Parliament has passed an enactment - a law of the land - that affirms all New Zealanders have a right to peacefully assemble and express themselves. That’s what the occupiers are doing.
Auckland Council will have to lobby central government to repeal a central aspect of the Bill of Rights Act first to move the protesters legally.
I think that council should focus on other things such as transportation before worrying about summertime users of the park.
I’m sure if these users enter the ‘occupied’ area, they will be greeted warmly.
“I’m sure if these users enter the ‘occupied’ area, they will be greeted warmly.”
Yeah… you wouldn’t want to be a young female office worker hanging around that crowd. And you sure wouldn’t want your kids playing nearby.
To put it nicely: they look like a bunch of rapists.
Auckland Council does not actually have the power to remove the protesters. As Urbanlocal correctly points out, the BORA protects peaceful protest.
If Council wishes to remove the protesters they are free to seek a court order, as some kind of judicial review is required to suspend people’s rights in that way. The same applies to Dunedin Council, but that council has not sought any court order because they know they won’t get one.
I agree with all your comments, but I personally object to how they are protesting… in all the photos and videos around the world I have seen, every single tent is a manufactured product by a company. Protesting agaist this system while camping in the product of this system is rediculous
In the long run they are doing their cause no favours by lingering aroud longer than a lentil and mung bean fart.
No doubt most of these protesters are Mana Party and Green Party supporters. I would have thought their energy would have been better spent trying to get these parties more votes, not less.
Seriously? Space for workers during sunny lunch times? I work in town, and eat my lunch at Aotea Square often. There’s plenty of space for people to eat, and I have never seen anyone get upset they have to eat on the new concrete seating rather than a grassy patch.
There are legitimate concerns about this protest but I think it is hypocritical of the council to site grass damage as a reason for eviction.
As a rate and taxpayer I am constantly paying for grass damage by sports teams not to mention the up keep of the rest of their grounds.
I have absolutely no interest in sport, in fact I see it one of the most repulsive, destructive and evil forces on the planet as a promoter of utterly pointless competition and a pigish attitude that the winner deserves to take all (brainwashing for capitalism in other words) a major ultimate cause of environmental and societal devastation.
Don’t be hypocrits council! I put up with sports animals you should put up with idealists however annoying.
Sorry if this isa bit on the nose , just feel strongly about it.
Cheers, have a good day
“Protesting for the sake of protesting…..” too damn right! This is just utterly pointless and a waste of the councillors time. They could be making plans for the future but a couple of nutjobs have to distract them all….
They look like a bunch of rapists? Seriously?
I’m actually personally worried that there are people like you in public tbird.
One might argue that tino rangatiratanga flags have nothing to do with anti-capitalism but it should be noted that pre-european nz resembled more of a communist model than a capitalist model.
It has to be remembered that this is a movement that is representing the 99% of population’s voices because some bank bail outs have been seemingly undemocratic actions. So its a movement that represents different voices (if not sometimes conflicting). I personally know that NORML were asked to not take part in the rally.
It must be considered that they do have permission to be there as ngati whatua invited them to be there.
However, there are some interesting outcomes from this. Civil Defense has been studying the occupation because the have been impressed with the way a group has organised itself so quickly. They have constitutions, security, welfare, medics, communion. It’s actually a very interesting society to watch
Let’s see if this works:
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/153/occupy.jpg
Now which one would you trust to date your sister?
1. The gaunt beanie-wearing ex-druggie in light blue jeans brown leather jacket with permanent cigarette in hand?
2. The obese emphysematous (and probably diabetic) old kaumatua with long tar-stained hair?
3. Fat Uncle Bully learing crosslegged in an overtight shirt?
4. Or the bearded pinko in the black t-shirt, black jeans, black Commie-style-hat, sitting around doing nothing while his girlfriend strums her guitar in the background?
They’re not 99%. They’re not representing me.
They’re an “interesting society to watch” because they get paid to do nothing by all of us 99.96%ers. I’d like to see them survive on a deserted island (well, actually I’d prefer to see them not survive!)
Tbird, I know one of the nurses running the medical tent at the encampment. I’d trust him to date my sister, if I had one. But I think his attractive, young, female girlfriend - who is also encamped in Aotea Square - might object.
I wouldn’t want a person with the childish prejudices you profess to date my sister or daughter.
Also, many of them are in full-time work. You really don’t know what you are talking about , at all.
How about asking occupy Auckland this question:
” Under what circumstances will you end you occupation ? ”
I suspect the answer will not be something realistic.
It is not like most of them have specific demands ( like a law that could be passed, a land grevience settled , etc ).
It’s either going to end by them getting bored (which could be a loonnggg time ) or the police throwing them out.
My idea would be to put hoses on a nearby building and give them 24×7 rain.
Tbird I’m going to ignore your pointless comments about who you’d let date your sister or your mother, but I agree with you that they don’t represent all of the 99% of society. There is a system of greed that has caused banks to fail around the world, and us the people are paying for that. It shouldn’t be the case. But perhaps you would prefer to just mock those who are seeking a more honest and democratic system where people matter and accuse people you have never met or interacted before to be rapists? Do something worthwhile with your time please
“To put it nicely: they look like a bunch of rapists.”
Tbird, this kind of stuff is why I immediately zone out off ANYTHING you say.
“Tbird, this kind of stuff is why I immediately zone out off ANYTHING you say.”
Not too zoned out to have to reply though!
These guys aren’t seeking a better and more democratic system. They are lifelong protesters with enormous senses of entitlement.
They don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t know why they’re there. They just use bully-boy tactics to occupy land that is meant to be used by the rest of us. Most of those tents are empty. I wonder who’s going to pay to redo the turf and tidy up once the cops boot them out? You and me - not them.
“Do something worthwhile with your time please”
I went out today and joined Aotearoa Socialists.
Loving tbirds comments
San Luca - “There is a system of greed that has caused banks to fail around the world, and us the people are paying for that”
Actually if anything it is actually helping most New Zealanders, Most of the population is still in employment and those with mortgages are benefiting from having historically low mortgage rates which is helping them to pay off their debt quicker which can only be good.
Also unlike banks overseas, ours are relatively stable and while they make profits, that’s what they are meant to do, they are a business and as a whole something like 30,000 people are employed by banks in the country and every single one of them pays income tax. If our banks were involved in buying up dodgy debt and then needed a taxpayer bailout then yes there would be a bit more reason to be upset but seeing as they aren’t this whole protest just comes across as one of jealousy
Matt L - well said.
these aren’t the 99% - just jumping on some overseas movement as a chance to protest against ……well everything really!
the Bill of Righst is about “reasonable” protest - you can’t go and occupy the harbour bridge and expect to sit there for weeks - so why here?
The irony is, as you say we’re better off because our banks did lend prudently - in fact that’s why the bridgecorp type lenders have caused so many problems, as banks wouldn’t back the risk of hotels in Fiji or whatever….
Also people forget a lot of this goes to Bill Clinton and his law on supposed discrimatory lending - which elad to loans to people who could pay, and sub-prime was born.
Right, no one seems to have commented about what David said, so I’m going to jump in and just express how appalling I find what he has to say.
First of all, you can’t compare Aotea Square and sports fields, as Aotea Square is not designed to be ripped up, it is designed to sit and walk on, as a recreational area. The grass they use is completely different, and football fields and such would have grass that’s hardy. It’s like comparing apples with bananas; yes they are both fruit, but in no other way are they similar.
Secondly, your link between sports and capitalism is interesting, however in New Zealand, sports brings benefits for all. Perhaps if David had good social awareness, he may then understand that sport is a way that can teach children and teenagers, and adults for that matter, to cooperate and communicate well, and perhaps he may have also have realised that sport is a community building activity, and an integral part of people’s lives, and how all of these can positively affect the whole community.
Council has a responsibility to protect assets, and the grass in Aotea Square is for all to enjoy.
Where do you draw the line of what is and what is not reasonable protest action? Do we have some piece of legislation that states you may only protest in certain locations at certain times, you may not protest for more than x numbers of days and no grass shall be hurt in the making of the protest? …Protesters shall not look like rapists etc etc.
Using the police to throw them out may remind us of sorry chapters of NZ’s history… Bastion Point, Sprinbok Tour?
“Protesters shall not look like rapists”
See New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, s16(d).
It may seem arrogant of me to offer this view but once again I must say it looks to me that some people posting here really have no idea of what the “Occupy” protesters worldwide are saying. Questions around who constitutes a potential “rapist” have nothing to do it. If you look at what the American journalist Christopher Hedges says in this piece it may become easier to understand,
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/this_is_what_revolution_looks_like_20111115/
The “Occupy” movement is a serious and growing international social force asking all of us us to look at making fundamental changes in the way we order our society, especially in the way the world’s big banks and their corporate cronies call the shots that our politicians respond to, and I mean politicians from both sides of the political divide.
“The ‘Occupy’ movement is a serious and growing international soc..”
Stop right there.
No it’s not. It’s a bunch of spoilt loser stoners ruining public land.
Agree with moving them on,
We the rate payers of Auckland should not have to pay for the fixing up of the area they now have stuff up. Latest report is the cost will be a million dollars to fix up the spot where they are.
Just get a couple of fire trucks in there and use the water cannon to blast them off. If it is going to cost that amount of money to fix up the area, then make it worth while and water blast them and give the dick heads something to really moan about.
I can bet none of them are going to help pay to fix the area. I’m surprise Sue Bradford and John Mintoe arent camping down there as well. That would be worth using the water cannon for alone
Shut up tbird, your the spoilt loser, we don’t shower you with personal abuse and trolling so you have no right to do it to us. I agree with David, the occupation are protecting us from those greedy corporations and rich people, they can have much space as they like to use it.
1 - Please name the greedy corporations and rich people we need saving from and why they specifically are so evil
@1. Not sure if troll… but… everyone loves a grammar Nazi…
It’s “you’re”. Seriously, that’s primary school grammar. Here’s a lesson. It’s not going to save you from corporations (throw out your Chuck Taylors and iPod if you’re against corporations, yeah didn’t think so) but it might help you stop you looking dyslexic when you write on forums.
Whenever you’re typing “your”, think “do I mean ‘you are‘?” If you mean “you are” then you can shorten that by removing the the space and the A, and replace them with an apostrophe. An apostrophe is a typographical mark, similar to a comma in appearance which is placed at about the height of lower case characters. On a standard US keyboard it is often located above the Shift key, and to the left of the Enter key.
Oh, by the way, thanks for explaining what I have the right to do. It’s pretty typical for your type to believe you are the only one with rights.
So you have the right:
* To protest
* To take over public land
* To deprive the rest of the city of their space
* To ruin public land
* To have your faeces, tampons and toilet paper cleaned up by the council (tax/ratepayers)
* To have water supplied for free
* To expect the council to provide electricity and complain that you need generators (I’m sure the diesel comes from a corporation, it’s not produced by a communal farm is it?)
* To not have to pay for the restoration of the land, the rent, the losses from the other events planned for other members of the city which had to be cancelled.
* To claim you’re fighting corporations, but not actually doing a thing
* To free speech
But I don’t even have the right to free speech?
“so you have no right to do it to us”
No surprises.
Anyway, keep fighting the power. Corporate greed has reduced by 35% since you started pitching tents in Aotea Square - it really helped Katmandu and North Face - because of skyrocketing tent sales the CEOs are relaxing on holiday feeling quite ungreedy.