New Zealand 'terrorist' clampdown: not to be outdone in scare tactics

You need to frighten people in order to pass authoritarian legislation: a technique tried and tested in all forms of systems, including our western 'democracies'.

 

First, this from the Guardian:

Seventeen people were arrested in New Zealand yesterday amid allegations that they had taken part in guerrilla-style training camps. The prominent Maori activist Tame Iti was among those taken into custody. More than 300 police were involved in the raids which also targeted political and environmental activists.

The activists mentioned above include peace activists who had no firearms (a machete was found in one case) and organic vegetable growers.

 

Hundreds marched in protest on Saturday.

Showing a unified front the protest was attended by a wide range of activist groups, and also included family and friends of the accused.

But for many there is also the larger fear of what the arrests represent, and of what could happen if the legislation amending the Terrorism Suppression Act of 2002 currently before Parliament is passed.

Speaking to the crowd, Auckland Global Peace And Justice organiser John Minto condemned the police’s threats to charge the accused of offences under the terrorism statute.

“They have had 15 months of intensive watching,” he said. "They would know by now whether they have the evidence. They are just using it as a tool to smear these activists with the terrorist brush. These arrests are not about terrorism it is about civil liberties," he said.

The proper context for understanding these police maneuvers and their timing came from

Green Party MP’s, Sue Bradford and Keith Locke ... both at the protest.

Locke spoke saying New Zealand was looking hard for a way to join the war on terror.

“They were happy when [Algerian refugee] Ahmed Zaoui came along, we had our very own terrorist. When that fell through they went after activists.”

Locke also said there are enough provisions under New Zealand’s criminal laws to deal with all these issues, "we don’t need terror laws".

The timing of the raids has also raised suspicion with some of the activists, one told the crowd, “how can they justify it, the police raid these homes the same week this legislation is going before parliament.”

"Its obviously a political maneuver", she said.

The Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill is presently high up the Parliamentary order paper and may receive a second reading in Parliament this week. The proposed legislation will change New Zealand’s rules about defining terrorist groups.

Among other changes under the proposed new legislation the New Zealand Prime Minister will have the power to designate terrorist groups without any court review.

The new legislation also removes the provision allowing people to support groups designated as terrorists if their goals are human rights and democracy