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Applause for former Urewera raids accused

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Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:26p.m.

Protesters outside the High Court

Protesters outside the High Court

By Brook Sabin

There was a loud round of applause in court this morning as charges against 13 people arrested after the Urewera raids were formally dropped.

But a group of protesters gathered outside court vowing to continue their action until charges against the remaining four - including Tuhoe activist Tame Iti - are thrown out too.

For the past three-and-a-half years Moana Winitana says his life has been ripped apart after charges were laid against him following 2007's raids.

This morning around 30 protestors gathered outside the High Court in Auckland before a hearing to formally discharge 13 of the 17 defendants.

Protesters are calling for charges against the remaining four to be thrown out.

"We want all of the charges to be dropped, and we think all of the charges will be dropped," says Valarie Morse. "I think that the New Zealand public can see that the Crown case is just nonsense."

The Government has so far ruled out an apology to those discharged today, which has enraged some.

"There is no vindication, there is no victory, they should be able to sue the Government for wrongful arrest, destruction of their home, brutalising their communities and traumatisation of their children," says Mana Party MP Hone Harawira.

The trial against the remaining four is due to get underway early next year.

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Comments

15 Sep 2011 06:12p.m.

Unsolicited wrote:

Protestors, especially the remaining 4 still facing charges, are largely ignorant foolish unemployed thugs, as are their largely ignorant foolish unemployed supporters. The achieve nothing but dissension and that is definitely not an honourable outcome. No one has the right to protest or buy firearms (oh hang on, they were probably stolen) at the expense of the taxpayer and/or their employer. It's about time the tap was turned off to such fools.

12 Sep 2011 11:21p.m.

Terry W wrote:

There is a reason why they are called terror accused, it is because they were charged with terrorism before the government backed down and recharged them all with participating in the criminal gang. They are still terrorists in my book, they were charged with so, and should be in jail facing those charges.

12 Sep 2011 11:10p.m.

Brett wrote:

You had a group of individuals who were caught through months of survellance work running training camps in the bush who were planning "terroist" acts within this country. There was certainly sufficient evidence to charge everyone accordingly however some of that evidence has been made inadmissable so those charged are now acquitted. Wasn't it only a week ago when a woman was interviewed who said it's ok for them to be training... when asked what they were training for she wouldn't say. Isn't it ironic that in the past four years you haven't heard anything from Tama Iti himself... certainly no denials!

12 Sep 2011 10:59p.m.

RobertM wrote:

We obviously have a far too large police and SIS force clearly drawn in the male ranks from Secondary modern type classes. The sort of people deeply offended by a bit of humour, joking around,nudists, free lovers and pretty anarchists. For myself I had only to appear at 10 stand up comedy gigs in the post Ellis christchurch in 2000-2 advcocating the basic human rights of the pretty boys,disabled, mentally ill to actively hetrosexual and their were 24 policecars down the road and the local Kentucy Nat Guard and skinheads running wild. And unlike Valerie Morse I always get my kit on and Zipper zipped.

12 Sep 2011 04:49p.m.

Dino wrote:

The pARLIEMENTARY SETTLERS GOVERNMENT IS LYING THROUGH ITS TEETH

12 Sep 2011 02:58p.m.

ian wrote:

Whos pulling the wool over whos eyes?
They were discovered most certainly of course running allbeit an amature attempt,a military fashioned training camp for angry rebelious maori.Just ask the threatened and abused people who encountered them when on hunting trips and were ordered out of the region.
Did the Police mess up the evidence or is there another reason for not proceeding with the prosecutions.

12 Sep 2011 01:41p.m.

Kevin M wrote:

Hone Harawira is very correct,this needs to be addressed for compensation for "victims"of foul play.