Tent Embassy in solidarity on Day of Action

Green Party MP Metiria Turei will be speaking out against John Howard's draconian moves to end Aboriginal self-determination, in what will be one of the first of many actions around the world on Saturday, July 14th.

"We will have a tent embassy set up in the bandstand of the Octagon to echo the Aboriginal Tent Embassy that has continuously occupied the grounds of Australia's Federal Parliament since 26 January 1972. Just as with the Aboriginal Tent Embassy we will have information available for people to read and take away so that they can understand the seriousness of the Howard governments plans to further denigrate aboriginal communities," Mrs Turei says.

"The protection of children is being used to hide the real purpose - to find ways to get Northern Territory Aboriginal communities off their land. The Howard government intends to use a mix of armed forces, compulsory land acquisition, halving benefits, forcing market rents for community housing and slashing up to 8000 jobs to move people off their land. This will leave the Northern Territory open for uranium mining and the dumping of nuclear waste.

"We have to understand the real issues behind the rhetoric. We must oppose Howard using the real plight of vulnerable children and communities to gain votes," Mrs Turei says.

Green Party MP Metiria Turei will be at the Tent Embassy from noon on Saturday, and will speak at 12.30pm.

What: Day of Action Against Genocide
When: 12pm, Saturday 14th July
Where: The Octagon, Dunedin