Speaking following the news of a wave of serious activity against Maori rights and trade union activists in New Zealand, Barry McColgan, National Organiser of Ógra Shinn Féin, condemned the actions conducted by the New Zealand authorities calling them “unwarranted and unjustifiable”.
“This month the authorities of New Zealand showed their true colours – raiding the homes of hundreds of trade unionists, Maori-rights activists and political activists in act of severe state repression. The criminalisation of dissent and political activism must not be allowed to continue.
“Not only have they targeted a wide range of activists and arrested many on trumped up charges, as part of their crack down this week they raided the home of Jimmy O’Dea – a 72 year old life long activist on Irish and Maori rights.
“These raids are a blatant attack on activism in general and are unwarranted and unjustifiable. Oppressive governments the world over are renowned for this kind of technique; from the British in the six counties to the Spanish government in the Basque country and now the New Zealand authorities against the Maori movement.
“Ógra Shinn Féin is calling on the international community to engage with the authorities of New Zealand and push them to drop these spurious charges immediately. “
“This month the authorities of New Zealand showed their true colours – raiding the homes of hundreds of trade unionists, Maori-rights activists and political activists in act of severe state repression. The criminalisation of dissent and political activism must not be allowed to continue.
“Not only have they targeted a wide range of activists and arrested many on trumped up charges, as part of their crack down this week they raided the home of Jimmy O’Dea – a 72 year old life long activist on Irish and Maori rights.
“These raids are a blatant attack on activism in general and are unwarranted and unjustifiable. Oppressive governments the world over are renowned for this kind of technique; from the British in the six counties to the Spanish government in the Basque country and now the New Zealand authorities against the Maori movement.
“Ógra Shinn Féin is calling on the international community to engage with the authorities of New Zealand and push them to drop these spurious charges immediately. “
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” Martin Luther King
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