Thousands protest Trump in New Zealand
By
our reporters
23 January 2017
Thousands of people joined anti-Trump protests in New Zealand on Saturday. About 1,000 protested in Auckland, 600 in Wellington and hundreds more in Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. Those in attendance included students, workers and retired people, among whom were immigrants from the US.
The demonstrations were held in conjunction with marches across the US and internationally to coincide with the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president. Millions of people are deeply concerned about the installation of the billionaire demagogue, whose administration includes generals responsible for war crimes and a collection of extreme right-wing ideologues and fascistic figures.
Many of those in attendance were concerned about Trump’s promotion of extreme nationalism and xenophobia, his anti-Muslim policies, as well as the growing danger of war and widening social inequality in the US and internationally. Some people spoken to by the WSWS said they held both the Democrats and the Republicans responsible for these conditions.
However, the main speakers—including trade union officials, environmentalists, journalists and members of the opposition Labour Party and the Greens—limited themselves to denunciations of Trump, particularly his sexist remarks and boasts about sexually assaulting women.
Like the demonstrations in the US, the New Zealand events were billed as “women’s marches,” in line with the Democratic Party’s promotion of gender-related identity politics. The Wellington protest was advertised on social media using the slogan from Hillary Clinton’s campaign, “Love Trumps Hate.”
In Myers Park, Auckland, the opening speaker, New Zealand-American…