BRONZ, how about having a rethink on the 1 September ride?

[Hitcher]

BRONZ, please call off this nonsense about riding to Parliament on 1 September, take three deep breaths and start again. Please don’t embarrass yourselves.

You’ve got a bunch of paid-up members and a wider motorcycle community you should first be having a conversation with. You should start by asking them whether they’ve got a problem with the ACC levies that apply to motorcyclists, what that means for them, how much of an issue they think that those are and what options they may have for change.

Feedback from such a conversation should help shape what, if anything, needs to happen next. It should also help shape a reasoned, factual, compelling and articulate story, something that is sadly lacking from the outrage recently shared on social media and online motorcycle forums.

Without such a story, what are Ministers and other dignitaries going to be told on 1 September? What’s the story that’s going to be sold to the media to get them interested? And, most importantly, what’s the message that’s going to be told to motorcyclists to get them excited enough to want to devote their time to supporting a cause?

The campaign at the moment looks like something invented by a bunch of blokes in a pub, coloured by emotions sponsored by the on-tap draught.

What’s the success outcome that’s desired? Effigies of politicians burned in front of a mob chanting en mass for the demise of Judith Collins? A list of names of people who want ACC wound up presented to the Clerk of the House? Graham McCready enlisted to take legal action against whomever?

What is it that bikers want, and do they want to be taken seriously?

I reckon that if I don’t understand what the game is here, there will be others like me.

Lack of compelling issues aside, your timing is also bad. There’s an election campaign underway on 1 September which will be considerably more newsworthy than a couple of dozen incoherent bikers and placards turning up outside Parliament on a Monday.

Please start again. There’s no shame in that.

[caspernz]

Amen to that Hitcher. There will be more thinking this way, let's see how many have the nerve to poke their head up out of their bunker...

Nothing wrong with protesting, but yes the desired outcome and timing of the protest could do with a rethink. Oh and yes I'm a paid up member of BRONZ Wellington, albeit a passive one.

[jasonu]

You are all wasting your time. It doesn't matter what motorcyclists in NZ do. You can protest, shout or take up all the parking spaces on Tamaki Drive. Nobody will care. It won't do you any good. You will be lucky to make page 5 of the Herald. Simply put there is not enough of you to get the politicians attention. Your actions will amount to a slight annoyance to the public and the powers to be. You don't have enough votes to scare any action from the Beehive.

[ruaphu]

Yeah nicely said Hitcher, totally agree. Would happily support something better planned out and mor informed at the right time.

Jason, heck i hate it when someone states the stats like that. But heck should we all simply let every other twat ride rough shod over bikers?

Hell no! Better to go down fighting than simply give up.
Ando

[Drew]

I don't wanna detract from the point by agreeing with it, but the points are valid and well put.

Kinda like everything I've read about this protest...isn't.

[cs363]

Common Sense

Totally agree with every point you've made.
When I first saw posts about this protest I thought it was just a bunch of disorganised motorcyclists talking it up, didn't even realise it was driven by BRONZ initially (yes, I know there's a certain irony in the preceding sentence...)

I can't believe BRONZ have come out with such a poorly thought through idea, as Hitcher has pointed out it has more holes than a sieve!

I attended the BIKOI and would be a starter for any properly organised protest with proper goals as Hitcher has suggested, but not this lame arse idea made even lamer by the clash of timing with the election, meaning this certainly won't be anything like front page news and there won't be many, if any pollies at parliament at that time of year.

Come on BRONZ come back with a better plan and I'll be keen, hell if the plan is good enough I might even join back up!

[Voltaire]

Is it a BRONZ organised protest?
No mention of it on the Welly Site
http://www.bronzwellington.org.nz/calendar/

[Hitcher]

Is it a BRONZ organised protest?
No mention of it on the Welly Site
http://www.bronzwellington.org.nz/calendar/

Everything I've seen to date has been stamped with a BRONZ logo. Perhaps their webmaster hasn't been included on the planning.

[bogan]

Everything I've seen to date has been stamped with a BRONZ logo. Perhaps their webmaster hasn't been included on the planning.

False flag op?

[HenryDorsetCase]

Effigies of politicians burned in front of a mob chanting en mass for the demise of Judith Collins?

you seem to be implying that would be a bad thing. instead of awesome. And the Dear Leader's presidential "Team Key" style would, one suggests, result in chants en masse of "Fuck John Key". I'm down with the kids, and down with that, as they say.

[Voltaire]

Ol Dotcom sure knows how to work that media...
I've seen better effigies at Guy Fawkes.
I would have thought BRONZ would be past the " lots of bikes outside Parliament" as a way forward.
It makes the news...so what.
Maybe they got the date wrong and they meant April 1

[jasonu]

Yeah nicely said Hitcher, totally agree. Would happily support something better planned out and mor informed at the right time.

Jason, heck i hate it when someone states the stats like that. But heck should we all simply let every other twat ride rough shod over bikers?

Hell no! Better to go down fighting than simply give up.
Ando

I think Drews idea about not paying rego and (hopefully) disrupting the courts is worth investigating.

[Hitcher]

I think Drews idea about not paying rego and (hopefully) disrupting the courts is worth investigating.

Yes, but what's the desired outcome from that protest action? Bikers shouldn't ride for free, but how much it too much, in terms of registration and ACC costs?

Talks about "fairness" may sound nice, but what do they mean?

The biker community needs to decide what it wants based on it analysing all of the issues, not just one or two. It's not hard to do this and it wouldn't take too long. But between now and 1 September is a bit of an ask.

[Ixion]

I need to note for the record that BRONZ Auckland have no position on this, and have no knowledge of this event other than what has been posted on this site.

We will discuss it, as far as we know about it, next Wednesday.

Personally I am not clear about the rationale (what is it that is actually being asked, of who ?); and the timing is not ideal.

[Murray]

I need to note for the record that BRONZ Auckland have no position on this, and have no knowledge of this event other than what has been posted on this site.

We will discuss it, as far as we know about it, next Wednesday.

Personally I am not clear about the rationale (what is it that is actually being asked, of who ?); and the timing is not ideal.

I think this is where the BRONZ involvement has come in

http://www.adventureridingnz.co.nz/f...september-1st/

Edward Brodie states BRONZ are organising a protest and the attached letter to Byron Cummings from BRONZ gives authorisation to protest on the grounds. If its all to be believed??