and so it begins (began)

yesterday was the first day of the trial against the Urewera 4, the 4 remaining defendants charged with 'participation in an organised criminal group' as a result of the october 15 terror raids on homes throughout Aotearoa. for background info on the raids, the arrests and the nearly 5 years of challenging, struggling and hoping for the arrestees go here.

i don't have much to say about this, i just want people to know.

know that the defendants didn't deserve to have their lives turned upside down, their families terrorised, jobs lost and relationships and health strained. the cost, financially, emotionally and physically has been too high.

know that the media and the police used scaremongering tactics to demonise Maori and Tuhoe.

know that Tuhoe have a long history of oppression and control by the state and all they ever wanted was to be independent of that control, to have the power to govern themselves. they have struggled for self determination since pakeha came and stole their lands and their choice to be an autonomous nation.

know that what happened on that day was so wrong. the people arrested were activists, radicals and freedom fighters. when the state starts to criminalise dissent everyone's freedom is threatened.

know that even if the charges are dropped the bigger struggle isn't over. if we live somewhere where the police and the state have the power to do what they have done here then we must keep fighting. for Tuhoe, for Tino Rangatiratanga and for ourselves.