[Onthebarricades] NEW ZEALAND/AOTEAROA: Attack on free speech met with protests

[Andy]

*  Thousands march against finance bill which could require registration of 
political sites
*  Man sets up website defying controversial bill
*  Prime Minister's office bricked; radicals "own up"

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=49&objectid=10476727

Protest against Electoral Finance Bill
5:00AM Sunday November 18, 2007
By Rebecca Lewis

One of the protestors marching against the Electoral Finance Bill. Photo / 
Chris Gorman
Democracy under attack
Man defies Electoral Finance Act with website
Fran O'Sullivan: Donor row has additional twists
Thousands of demonstrators marched down Queen St yesterday to protest 
against the Electoral Finance Bill, warning the public their right to free 
speech will be revoked should the law be passed.
Protest organiser John Boscawen led the march from the Town Hall, alongside 
Garth McVicar of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, and Bob McCoskrie of Family 
First, despite news of Boscawen's father's death two days earlier. Boscawen 
says the legislation is about people's right to freedom of speech.
"It's a sad time for me, but I believe my father would have wanted me to be 
here today," he said. "It's important to be here and get the message across 
to the public, that we need to step up and fight for our right to free 
speech."
More marches are planned next week in Wellington and Christchurch. The bill 
is set to come into effect from January 1 next year.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cfm?c_id=1501118&objectid=10485100

Man defies Electoral Finance Act with website
8:14AM Thursday January 03, 2008
Democracy under attack
Fran O'Sullivan: Donor row has additional twists
Brick thrown in protest at PM's office
The creator of a website challenging new electoral finance laws is expecting 
to hear from election officials.
Christchurch man Andrew Moore has launched the website 
dontvotelabour.org.nz. He says that breaches the Electoral Finance Act which 
came into force on Tuesday.
Mr Moore says the website was not set up to purposely break the law. He says 
he is angry at the idea of registering for freedom of speech but he is not 
sure what he'll do if the Electoral Commission calls.
Mr Moore says it will be a case of playing it by ear.
- NEWSTALK ZB

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/feature/story.cfm?c_id=1501118&objectid=10484925

Brick thrown in protest at PM's office
12:27PM Tuesday January 01, 2008

The damage at the PM's office today. Photo / NZPA
A brick was thrown at Prime Minister Helen Clark's Auckland office early 
today in a protest against the Electoral Finance Act.
The attack at the Mt Albert electoral office happened around 12.30am, with 
the offender seen disappearing on a scooter immediately afterwards.
The window was cracked but not broken.
An email from a lobby group, People Power, claimed the brick was thrown in 
protest against the Electoral Finance Act, which came into force today.
People Power describes itself as a stand alone, non-politically affiliated 
citizens lobby group that wants to see democracy returned through the 
repealing of the Act.
The new law has caused heated debate, with opponents claiming it is a 
restriction on free speech in election years. A general election must be 
held by November 15 this year.
Police northern communications spokesman Inspector Ian Brooker said a woman 
who witnessed the attack possibly prevented further damage through her 
actions.
The woman, a local resident, had been watching midnight fireworks when she 
noticed a cat wandering near the office at about 12.30am. Knowing that a 
neighbour had lost their cat, she went to have a closer look.
At the same time she noticed a person on a motor scooter, who had a short 
time earlier ridden up the road, stopped and thrown a brick at the window of 
the electorate office.
"As she went closer to try to get the registration number of the scooter, 
she was attacked by the cat and screamed. Both the cat and the motor scooter 
rider were alarmed and left at speed," Mr Brooker said.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, called police and supplied them 
with descriptions of the offender and his scooter.
Civil Liberties spokesman Barry Wilson said the group should not remain 
anonymous.
He said the lobbyists lack credibility unless they show their faces and such 
acts are misguided.
"If they've broken the window in Helen Clark's office the taxpayer will be 
paying so they should at least be prepared to pay the cost of the window, 
front up in court and most of all, say exactly who they are," Mr Wilson 
said.
A Christchurch-based training company called People Power, which has 
contracts with government departments and the police, was today anxious to 
stress it had no connection to the protestors.
Director Erenie Papageorge said: "I don't know who these people are and wish 
to disassociate my company and myself from anything to do with this 
incident."
It is the second time the Prime Minister's Electoral Office has been 
targeted by vandals. Right-wing activist Tim Selwyn took to the office with 
an axe in November 2004.
He was later jailed for willful damage, publishing a seditious statement 
about the act and fraud.
-         NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB, NZ HERALD STAFF

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4342248a11.html

The cat, the brick and a political protest
By MATT CALMAN - The Dominion Post | Wednesday, 02 January 2008
MICHAEL FIELD/Fairfax Media
SMASHED ON NEW YEAR'S: The damage done by the brick thrown at Helen Clark's 
Auckland electoral office on New Year's Eve.
A brick-wielding protester, a prowling cat and a local woman crossed paths 
at Prime Minister Helen Clark's Mt Albert electorate office in the first 
hour of 2008 - with hair-raising results.
The woman was looking for a neighbour's lost cat about 12.30am when she saw 
a scooter pull up and its rider throw a brick at the office window. The 
window was cracked but not broken.
She approached the scooter to try to get its registration number and was 
startled by the cat.
When the woman screamed, both the cat and the brick-thrower took fright and 
left quickly.
A group called People Power has owned up and threatened further protests. It 
said the brick was thrown to protest against the Electoral Finance Act, 
which was enacted yesterday. The group wants it repealed.
The act, which has been called undemocratic by opponents, was passed to 
regulate political advocacy and funding of parties by private citizens 
during election years.
Inspector Ian Brooker said a police investigation into the incident "only 
really took off ... when someone claimed responsibility". It was possible 
the woman prevented further damage to the electorate office.
A spokeswoman from the prime minister's office said only that the incident 
"and the threats of further violence" were matters for the police.
Miss Clark is overseas.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10479722

Protest sends strong message
8:00AM Monday December 03, 2007

The Government's proposed election finance law comes up again for debate in 
Parliament tomorrow, after more than 5000 people marched against it in 
Auckland's main street at the weekend.
Protest leader John Boscawen said the turnout, which filled more than two 
blocks of Queen St on Saturday, was more than twice that seen during a march 
he organised just a fortnight earlier.
He said "easily three-quarters" of those present indicated they had never 
taken part in protest marches before the Electoral Finance Bill reared its 
head.