Last week, four successful peaceful protests were organised under urgency by disabled people in response to the government announcement on 18 March 2024.
Over Easter, the leaders of the four protests in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill, contacted each other by phone, text, email, and social media to discuss what worked, what could be improved, and what to do next.
It was agreed by consensus that;
- This will be a long, hard fight, so we must be well-organised.
- We have to start with ourselves. This needs to be led by disabled people who will gain self-confidence. Silly protests will erode self-confidence.
- We need to take care of our people. Many have complex health conditions.
- Each city needs a large committee of experienced organisers to spread the load.
- We need to collect donations. The logistics will cost.
- Disabled people are from all walks of life, including town and farm. We need to reach out to everyone.
- The focus needs to be on what we want. "Reverse the changes to our funding".
- March 18 was a coalition cabinet decision, so don't focus on Penny Simmonds. She is clumsy as a minister, and that helps our cause.
- Keep the protests big and peaceful so anyone feels comfortable to participate. Marshalls will be required.
- Local groups will plan their protests for different weeks to keep the fight in the news.
- A national day of protest will come later when we are strong in each city and can turn out big numbers.
Then further details will be announced.
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