An eye witness on Strickland Street, Christchurch, saw one of the suspects being apprehended by New Zealand police after today's attack on two mosques. She said police deliberately rammed the car. Video: RNZ
By Mike Treen, national director of Unite Union
After a beautiful day in which thousands of young people across Aotearoa marched for a better future, a chill has descended across this country.
Far-right murderers have shot innocent Muslims in their holy mosques and livestreamed it on Facebook and 4Chan.
The true face of fascism is revealed once again. This is what happens when you believe the lies that they merely want “free speech” to advocate their genocidal ideology.
They hate people of different ethnicities so much that they are prepared to commit terrorist crimes.
Now more than ever, we must stand up in our millions as the true people of Aotearoa, and fight racism, fascism and Islamophobia in all forms.
This is the inevitable consequence of politicians using rhetoric bashing migrants in order to gain support and votes. Don Brash and other opportunists from ACT and the New Conservatives have helped enable the rise of a small but militant far-right movement with their dog-whistle scapegoating. It’s time to tell these Trump-like demagogues to get lost.
The crisis of inequality, housing, and low wages has been caused by corporate greed and government failure — don’t listen to the lies from NZ First, National, and, even Labour, about migrants being to blame for the suffering of the people of this land.
Disgraceful intelligence failure
What is the point of the intelligence community in Aotearoa, when for decades it can spy on peaceful activists such as John Minto, Keith Locke and me, but it can’t respond to the threat of genuinely violent thugs such as today’s racist murderers, who boasted on their forums just last night that they were going to kill Muslims?
The GCSB is a disgraceful failure.
We are right to feel horrified, we are right to feel sick, and we are right to feel angry — but we should not forget the optimism we felt this morning when marching alongside the School Strike for Climate Action.
Those marches in so many cities today showed the very real case for hope — an entire generation is ready to fight for a better future, and they will be just as ready to fight against racism as well. Those few Nazi thugs do not represent Aotearoa in any way, shape or form.
Love Aotearoa Hate Racism is holding an emergency hui at 7pm tonight to organise how we respond to these atrocities, and build a mass movement against fascism in the long term.
The meeting will be held at Unite Union Auckland office, 6a Western Springs Road, Morningside.
Please let us know if you are willing to fight — whether you are in Auckland, or if you want to get the fight against racism started in your city.
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| Students at today's Aotea Square rally in Auckland kicking off the global Strike 4 Climate action day. Image: David Robie/Cafe Pacific |
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