On April 6, 400 people marched down Auckland’s main street to the U.S. consulate and back in pouring rain, chanting, "Free, free Palestine" and "One, two, three, four, occupation no more!" On both April 9 and 12, around 200 people rallied outside the consulate in the early evening, drawing interest from a number of passersby on their way home from work. On April 20, 400 people again marched and rallied in the central city.

Protests have also been held in the capital, Wellington. Some 200 people attended a rally in the city center April 9.

Fighters for the rights of Maori, an oppressed nationality in New Zealand, have joined some of the protests. Peter Love, of the Te Atiawa tribe, told the Wellington rally, "Maori stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We understand what it is all about to lose your land. We understand how big the loss is. We’re here to help in any way we can."

Supporters of the Militant have found keen interest in the paper’s coverage of the Palestinian struggle. Around 50 copies of the paper have been sold at the Auckland actions, and a number of people have asked to be called back about a subscription.

Christine Beresford in Wellington contributed to this article.
 
 
Related article:
75,000 rally in U.S. to back Palestinian struggle
Palestinian official calls Israeli pullout from towns a sham
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home