The Student Protest Movement for Palestine
“It has been a little less than a year since I started attending these protests […] At first I marked them out by numbers: the first protest, the second. Then by location: Tauranga, Palmerston North, The Embassy, Parliament. Still more passed and they started becoming milestones: the first time I led the chants, the time […]
Palestine – No Rest Until Liberation
At the time of writing, a ceasefire deal has finally been agreed to between Hamas and the Israeli government. This in and of itself is welcome of course, and frankly the deal is much better for Hamas than it is for Israel. Israeli journalist Yossi Yehoshua asserts “There’s no need to sugarcoat the reality: the […]
Vijay Prashad, Campism, and Anti-Colonial Struggle
Vijay Prashad has been an important intellectual in the Global South. His reporting has challenged mainstream narratives. But the Marxist intellectual who had written some of the most important works on the Global South in recent times – such as The Darker Nations, No Free Left, Washington Bullets and Untouchable Freedom – has rebranded himself […]
New Zealand Imperialism in the Pacific in the 21st Century
A public talk based on this article is available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiDVbWafgPg “The Pacific is our family, and being here is a great opportunity to reaffirm New Zealand’s position as a close and trusted partner.” Visiting Niue in June 2024, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon trotted out this familiar official story about the New Zealand government’s […]
Strawberries, Olives, Oranges: Israel’s War as Ecocide
North Gaza is famous for its strawberries. Harvest season, in the northern hemisphere, is from December through to March. Normally thousands would be employed gathering the fruit to bring it to market across Palestine. This year, as they were killing thousands of Palestinian civilians in their ongoing attacks, Israeli forces also used bulldozers and heavy […]
In Solidarity with Kanaky – A Rally Speech
The following is based on a speech given at a Kanaky solidarity rally in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington on Friday 26th July 2024. Kia ora koutou. Ko Serah tōku ingoa. Thanks to all of you for being here. There is a lot happening politically right now. Just yesterday, there was a rally led by Alternative Jewish […]
Capitalism is the Connection
The following was delivered as a speech at a rally for Palestine in Dunedin on July 6, 2024. Kia ora tātou, my name is Oscar Bartle, I’m a socialist activist and member of the International Socialist Organisation. I’ve been involved in Palestine solidarity work since October 7th and have been an organiser for these rallies. […]
Say No to AUKUS
In this piece I’ll be examining AUKUS and how it relates to, and is a product of, the system that the working class of the world currently suffers under. I’ll also be touching on some larger topics such as China, the relevance of AUKUS to us here in Aotearoa, and the big question – What […]
Indian Election and Hindu Nationalism In New Zealand
The pre-amble to the constitution of India declares it to be a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. It is an admirable vision for the country. In reality one could argue, plausibly, that none of those terms are applicable to the Indian state, at least not on the national level. The previous decade has seen a […]
Healthcare workers in solidarity with Palestine
On 11 October, the fifth day of the war on Gaza, emergency services at Al Shifa Hospital received a call from a nearby neighbourhood. The assault by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) had caused mass casualties in the vicinity of the Karni Crossing. Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances had to wait to receive clearance from Israel. The […]
