Wellington.Scoop
Students and activist groups today protested against a lecture by the USA’s Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Dr. Bonnie Jenkins at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW). Dr. Jenkins is a senior official in charge of AUKUS implementation, a military alliance currently between Australia, UK and USA.

A number of groups including Justice for Palestine, Student Justice for Palestine — Pōneke (SJP), Stop AUKUS and Peace Action Wellington rallied around 150 people, mostly students, outside the university venue in Pipitea to protest against further collaborations with the USA.

Simultaneously, a peaceful protest was undertaken inside the lecture hall.

An activist began by calling for “a moment of silence for all the Palestinians killed by the US-funded genocide in Gaza”. He then spoke up about the weapons that the US was sending to Gaza, before eventually being ejected from the lecture theatre. Shortly after, another activist stood up and said “Karetao o te Kāwana kakīwhero!” (“Puppets of this redneck government.”) quoting the women’s Super Rugby Aupiki team Hurricanes Poua’s revamped haka. “Mai te awa ki te moana (From the river to the sea), free free Palestine!”

Dr. Jenkins was ushered away for the second time, and subsequently a couple of activists took to speaking and playing a video about how AUKUS represents US imperialism. When organisers later came in to announce that Dr. Jenkins would not be continuing with her lecture, chants of “Free, free Palestine!” filled the room.

“For five months, Aotearoa has been calling for our government to do more to stop the genocide in Gaza. And for years, we have been calling our governments to stand against Israel’s occupation of Palestine,” says Samira Zaiton, a Justice for Palestine organiser. “We are now at the juncture of tightening relations with settler colonies who will only destroy more lives, more homes and more lands and waters. We want no part in this. We want no part in AUKUS.”

Jenkins’ lecture was organised by Victoria University’s Centre for Strategic Studies, to address “security challenges in the 21st century”. Valerie Morse, an organiser with Peace Action Wellington, says: “Experts on foreign policy and regional diplomacy have done careful research on the disastrous consequences of involving ourselves with AUKUS. Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa is not a nuclear testing ground and sacrifice zone for US wars.”

Wellington.Scoop – March 7
Students and activist groups will be protesting on Friday outside a lecture by the USA’s Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Dr. Bonnie Jenkins, at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW).

Organised by the Centre for Strategic Studies, Dr. Jenkins’ lecture will address attendees on “security challenges in the 21st century”. She speaks as a senior official in charge of AUKUS implementation, a military alliance between Australia, UK and USA.

A number of groups including Justice for Palestine, Student Justice for Palestine — Pōneke (SJP), Stop AUKUS and Peace Action Wellington are organising a rally outside the university venue in Pipitea to protest against further collaboration with the USA. This is particularly prescient in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

“We have seen for a long time what we’re supporting when we give fuel to the US military: mass killings, destruction and instability that lasts for decades, and global crises of displacement and poverty,” said Nabilah Husna Abdul Rahman, a member of SJP and a PhD candidate at VUW.

“It is frightening that military pacts like AUKUS are increasingly being presented to us, through events like these, as benevolent or in any way aligned with our national interests. In reality, we know it seeks to only secure and expand the USA’s power into the Pacific. But we have our own obligations in this region: to upholding tino rangatiratanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Pacific sovereignty, and regional treaties like the Treaty of Rarotonga and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

“As the US funds weapons for Israel to commit a genocide that has killed over 30,000 people in Gaza, why is our university giving a platform to the Biden administration to push its propaganda on ‘arms control’? Instead of sanctioning Israel and standing against the USA, this coalition government is playing a death dance with imperial powers to extend their militarism around the world,” said Serah Allison, also a member of SJP.

“Our university’s leadership has done embarrassingly little to take a stand against this genocide. By playing host to Jenkins’ speaking tour and still refusing to condemn Israel and the US’ murderous campaign, Victoria University is complicit.”

Dr. Jenkins’ lecture is scheduled for Friday, 8 March, 11.30am at the Government Building (GBLT1). The group protesting against her lecture urges students, organisers and activists standing for an end to the genocide and a nuclear-free Pacific to join the rally.