"terrorism files" show the other side?

I have not said much about the police raids that exercised the mind of a certain type of left wing political activist, as well as many other Kiwis, due to distance from it and a bit of incredulity that it even happened. I have been at least a little dismayed at the response of some, especially at the Labour Party conference and among the more sanctimonious who have in the past done good things but who these days do seem to be part of a sort of rent-a-mob.

So it is with heavy heart that I read the stuff in the Dom Post that begins with this summary here.

All one can really say is, thank goodness the police were onto these people. The only reason to think otherwise would be if one thought the police had made it all up. I still am not sure in my own mind how much of this is just people blowing off steam, versus something more serious, but in the end it is reassuring that the police would err on the side of caution.

Political violence is not acceptable. Full stop. Obviously that is a lesson that had passed out of memory for a few Kiwis.

Comments

[Idiot/Savant]

Political violence is not acceptable. Full stop.

No, it's not. Neither, however, is the police leaking evidence to undermine the accused's chances of a fair trial. And that is also a very troubling development.

[GNZ]

I/S, who says it was the police?
the police association indicates the defence leaked it. they mentined reasons for believing htat which are verifyable so I expect they are telling the truth and your assumption is eronious.

[Rob Davies]

Agree entirely. Watch now as the "hangers on," dressed either as members of the Palestinian resistance movement or as common L.A. street thugs, try and convince people they're not terrorists at all, just misunderstood freedom fighters.

As you said, there should be no excuse for political violence. None. Judging by the very limited evidence already released the case against some extremists in, or attached to, the Tuhoe "nation" is strong. Police were right to act.

[GNZ]

That aside, I also think it might be the best result for NZ police (or some other appropriate authority) to systematicaly allow such evidence into the public domain and drop the charges against those people.

I.e. that the public good of putting people to trial for breaking the law can be less than the public good of letting the public know the facts of a situation.

[anon]

Helen Clark will have leaked the evidence to undermine the hikoi.

[Policy Parrot]

Perhaps they should call this the "hikoi of hate?"

They are marching to proclaim that would be murderers, seccessionists and racists are innocent because of the way they were arrested. Rather than actually banishing those who actually caused the raids in the first place.

[tim barclay]

But thuggery in the lobbies of parliament is not all that bad. Indeed promote the Labour thug to run an important campaign on Labour laws and the Environment. His punching skills might come in handy there.

[me]

"Political violence is not acceptable. Full stop."

uhm, YOUR party has troops in Afghanistan killing people. it has troops in the Solomons killing people. troops in east timor killing people.

the system you defend invaded maungapohatu, bastion point etc.

the system you defend keeps the poor poor and the rich rich. violence? as a member of a ruling party, you either got to be joking to make a statement like that or have no understanding of power in society whatsoever.