Westfield Mall Protest

[The Pastor]

Ah, if you park one bike per park, wont the cagers be able to park between the bikes?
Let me know when you do west and I'll come down in a car and start the ball rolling.

well you can park longways

[The Pastor]

tbh this is no differnt to mission bay, just higher profile.

[k2w3]

Only difference is it's fronted by seemingly angrier men.

[R6_kid:Me]

Then I thought about it, if we are there to shop then why not, if we parked and stayed with our bikes it would be a different story

LOL! I thought we we're meant to be protesting against the Government, not going on a big girly shopping ride to the mall.

The idea of informing people of how the changes WILL affect them is more valuable than causing what I think will be minimal disruption to otherwise non-caring people. Hopefully those going to the protest will take that idea onboard and be prepared to explain the situation to joe public rather than simply showing up and going 'oh look what I did, you can't park here now.' It shouldn't be about us getting shafted by huge levie increases, it's about Government making fundamental changes to ACC which will allow them to charge who they want, what they want - and we are just among the first to get hit.

[Mully]

Funnily enough, if anyone protesting doesn't go into the mall and become a shopper, the mall is going to be much more easily able to throw them out. (i.e the signs say something along the lines of "this carpark is for the use of shoppers only")

[Mully]

The specific Mall(s) will be notified on this site at 6am on Sunday 29th November, for those who are no a part of the telephone tree.

There's a 6am on Sundays now??

[Tank]

There's a 6am on Sundays now??

if you are doing it right - technically its part of Saturday night!

[Oakie]

I've been thinking about this one for a couple of days now and have come to the conclusion that it'll end in tears. There are just too many ways this could be turned around to make us look stupid.
Go to the malls for sure and be visible and push the "Who is next" angle by posters under windsreen wipers or handouts ... whatever. The amount of public support we have at the moment is too precious to be jeopardised by inconveniencing Joe Public.

[Mully]

Go to the malls for sure and be visible and push the "Who is next" angle by posters under windsreen wipers or handouts ... whatever. The amount of public support we have at the moment is too precious to be jeopardised by inconveniencing Joe Public.

People could, of course, just stand on any Main Street handing out "Who's Next" leaflets. Or a convenient intersection and hand them out at red lights.

Those are public property and covered by Council bylaw, so lots could be handed out before they're moved along.

Just sayin'

[PhantasmNZ]

Said it before and I'll say it again... I think the Mall idea - even though I'm certain the organisers have good intentions - will backfire.

If there's disruption, then the protest will get bad press, and the protesters will probably get asked to leave, and if they don't go, will just get trespassed and then forced to leave (by the police who will undoubtably already be there). If this happens - we will lose some of the goodwill the police have continually been showing us throughout this.

If the protest is NOT disruptive - what's the point? I really don't see a bunch of bikers shopping in the mall (however they're parked) being the ultimate protest.

Sure this protest is similar to Mission Bay - but there's a few key differences - Mission bay was public (council) property - nobody could get trespassed or told to leave, it was out in the open and along public roads, it was made clear that supporters should BUY breakfast to keep local cafes on side - which could be done whilst staying part of the visible protest. Importantly the protest affected no essential activity (shops, services etc). Maybe more importantly - it was actually possible to PROTEST as well as park up, and have breakfast - where is the actual protesting part going to happen in the mall?

Course - we're all free to choose how we want to protest - but you'll forgive me if I don't participate in this one...

[Oakie]

Sure this protest is similar to Mission Bay - but there's a few key differences - .

Another important difference is the type of people you'll be upsetting. Mission Bay = chilled out people after their morning decafe soy latte. Malls are going to be a variety of stressed out shoppers just wanting to get in and out as fast as they can.

[PhantasmNZ]

Another important difference is the type of people you'll be upsetting. Mission Bay = chilled out people after their morning decafe soy latte. Malls are going to be a variety of stressed out shoppers just wanting to get in and out as fast as they can.

agreed.

I'd like to see some well reasoned arguments for this protest and why it will be successful without getting thrown off the property - I'm always happy to be proven wrong.

[flyingcrocodile46]

I went to Wellington and Mission Bay and am keen to see our protest actions have a positive impact both in getting the message across to Govt and the public. We had a big turn out by our standards but the Govt weren't swayed by our numbers. They don't care about us, they see us as a minor inconvenience.

No doubt they figure we will take the predictable path of attempting to gain leverage over them by disrupting the system and causing a public nuisance at key places and times.. not unlike the old days of Cook Straight ferry union stoppages during the holidays (remember them?). People get pissed off alright, but not at the govt. Piss enough of them off and they will cheer as the govt tosses bikers into jail and confiscate their bikes. Problem solved for the govt.... Easy as.

Seems to me that the best way to get our message across to govt is by swelling our ranks from mere hundreds or thousands of bikers, to tens of thousands or better yet, hundreds of thousands of NZers. After all, the ACC scam affects all NZer's not just bikers.

Something I noticed about how the Mission Bay demonstration worked that we can learn from...... We printed hundreds of information handouts for the public so that they could be informed, woken from their apathy and add their voice to ours, but there were bugger all of them there cause they had nowhere to park and went elsewhere.

I have come to believe we would be better off splitting into smaller groups and covering as many shopping centres as possible. The public are generally supportive and will readily lend an ear and take an info handout sheet if approached politely and pleasantly. Win them over to our cause by making it theirs as well... Don't piss them off by taking up all their parking.

If I was managing Westfield, I'd be hiring three or four security guards for each parking area entrance in MY car parks and either direct the bike parking where it suited me, or simply refuse access to MY property. What are the bikers going to do then? Ramp up action by blocking public roads or perhaps assaulting the security guards. Oh yeah! That'll win the hearts and souls of the public Plays right into the govt's hands.

Deliver the message to an audience that will listen. Don't shout at them, get them singing along with us and drown the govt with a chorus of ..... Bullshit, Bullshit, Bullsh..... Flood newspapers with letters to the editor... Radio station call in lines. Make it the hot community topic that it should be. Start the ball rolling and others will follow.

[Gubb]

If I was still in Auckland, i'd be protesting the protest.

A placard with "Not all Bikers support these wankers" or somesuch.

[Oakie]

Hit the malls and put our flyers under winsdcreen wipers. Information out without pissing any off. Could still do it as a group of bikers if you still want to make a visual statment.