It was the final few weeks before work started on an inner city bypass the local community had been campaigning against for about 10 years. The Bypass is very close to the hearts of many there as many people I know live in the nehibourhood the bypass is to cut through to make it quicker to get into the city. Tensions and preparations were escalating towards the first big demolitions of houses. The local activists were training, organising and there were actions planned I have roles in.. the atmosphere was tense but electric.
And so suddenly, unexpectedly, I was on the other side of the world and in my first few weeks back in the UK I followed the events unfold on TVNZ, Indymedia and text messages from friends "I'm locked on to a digger!", "I'm barricaded into a building they are demolishing!!".
But time went on, most people were arrested, trespassed of the bypass route, the battle has been lost and big parts of the the neiborhood have been trashed.So it is with mixed feeling I return to Wellington, I am really stoked see so many friends again, but where I am staying is an activist house and community centre right on the route, all the houses are around have been demolished and moved and to really drive it home where there was once homes there is now a two story mound of earth next door.
Its really sad to see posters up for saving community gardens spaces that are now is piles of gravel and mud.
I hear many of the activists here have one by one had their dark times, and depressions, and dissapeaerd form the scene for huge chunks of time. And now the destruction continues around. It made me think of the campaigns I have been involved in and how I don't have to spend much time around the spaces that have been destroyed, and daily face the defeat and in the wrecked places I have tried to save.
So I want to say a big ups to the wellington crew for all their energy and staying strong and continuing to fight environmental and social destruction while they live with this.
with love x
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment