RESIST THE WEAPONS EXPO 2018: Actions, accommodation, transport & another action towards victory

Get Ready to join in the actions against the 2018 Weapons Expo! We're gearing up for road trip to Palmerston North and we're keen as to have a big Auckland crew to resist this trade in misery, murder and mayhem. We can create a better world together!

Here are some things you can do to help to Stop the Weapons Expo:

TAKE ACTION in Palmerston North Oct 31 + Nov 1 FB event
CONTACT us if you are planning to come for more info aucklandpeaceaction@gmail.com
DONATE to Auckland Peace Action to help transport people to the action here
SHARE content from Auckland Peace Action, Peace Action Wellington and Peace Action Manawatū
TWEET Find us on Twitter and retweet our messages around - using #WarStartsHere
EMAIL the Palmerston North City Council to stop the expo at their venues (see below)
SPREAD THE WORD Talk to people about the Expo! Read some info here
ORGANISE get in touch to get more involved: aucklandpeaceaction@gmail.com

Actions
The Weapons Expo is happening over three days: October 30-November 1 with the big days being 31 October (Halloween) and the evening of Thursday, 1 November when the Minister of Defence is speaking. There are a range of actions and events planned over those days, the first of which is a Peace March on Wednesday, 31 October at 11:30am. This will go from the Square to the Venue. Other events will announced in coming days so keep your eyes on our facebook page. If you are planning to come from Auckland or have any questions, please drop us a line and let us know: aucklandpeaceaction(at)gmail.com

Accommodation
Peace Action Manawatū is organising accommodation for out of town peace activists. If you are planning to travel down, please fill out this form and let them know you are coming. (Please note: it is not necessary to use your real name).

Transport
If you want to travel down from either Auckland or Hamilton, please get in touch with us so we can coordinate: aucklandpeaceaction(at)gmail.com

A victory: help us with another step towards shutting it down for good!
Every year arms dealers, the military and the government come together at the Weapons Expo to make deadly deals about weapons and war. We've been hard out campaigning to shut down it down for the past three years. We blockaded them a whole day in Auckland in 2016, we drove them out of Wellington in 2017, and we've just had another small victory on the way to winning: this year the Expo is due to be held in Palmerston North. The local peace group - Peace Action Manawatū has successfully challenged their City Council to discuss imposing an ethical venue policy on all city-owned venues Palmerston North. While the Weapons Expo will go ahead there this year, we want to encourage Palmy to uphold its reputation as a Peace City, and tell these Arms Traders they aren't welcome. Please take a moment to email the Palmerston North Councillors and tell them you support an ethical venues policy for the city, and that you don't support holding a Weapons Expo there!

Palmerston North City Councillors
tangi.utikere@pncc.govt.nz - Deputy Mayor
adrian.broad@pncc.govt.nz
aleisha.rutherford@pncc.govt.nz
brent.barrett@pncc.govt.nz
bruno.petrenas@pncc.govt.nz
duncan.mccann@pncc.govt.nz
gabrielle.bundy-cooke@pncc.govt.nz
jim.jefferies@pncc.govt.nz
karen.naylor@pncc.govt.nz
leonie.hapeta@pncc.govt.nz
lew.findlay@pncc.govt.nz
lorna.johnson@pncc.govt.nz
rachel.bowen@pncc.govt.nz
susan.baty@pncc.govt.nz
vaughan.dennison@pncc.govt.nz

Peace is not just about saying we don't like war and killing. It is about taking direct and effective action to stop those who profit from waging war. That is what our work to stop the Weapons Expo is all about: we want a movement big enough and strong enough to shut down this Expo, because those in power are not going to do it for us. It is up to each of us to do what we can to make the world a peaceful and¦nbsp; just place. Please consider joining us in Palmerston North this year to shut down the arms trade.

Ngā mihi mahana,
Auckland Peace Action