Anti asset sales protest Saturday 12 May

People wore black armbands as a sign of sorrow and most carried placards with clear messages of their displeasure at the proposed selling of up to 49% of Meridian Energy, Mighty River Power, Genesis Power, Solid Energy and Air New Zealand by Government at the anti- asset sales protest march.

Whetu Parata's sign summed up the general feeling

 Toots of support accompanied the walkers as they moved from Otepuni Gardens , up Nith Street to Kelvin, Don and Tay Streets before gathering for speeches at Wachner Place. Representatives from the organising alliance of community groups, the Labour Party, the Greens, Grey Power and unions gave a strong message of solidarity with a ‘stop asset sales’ theme.

 David Lusby added to the atmosphere by singing some country folk songs with appropriate protest ditties. Signs included concise messages such as ‘Our Assets are not yours to sell Mr Key’, ‘Ours not yours’, ‘Don’t sell our future- children’. "You have no mandate to sell our assets and they are not yours to sell Mr Key,"

The crowd with placards and messages

Labour Party speaker Lesley Soper says."This land is our land." At the gathering a start was made on collecting signatures for a citizens initiated referendum about the proposed sale of assets with 300 000 needing to be collected nationwide to ensure this happens.