76 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
76 lines
4.4 KiB
Markdown
The **Polynesian Panther Party** was a revolutionary movement founded by
|
||
[New Zealand](New_Zealand "wikilink") born Polynesians on the 16th of
|
||
June 1971.The party was explicitly influenced by the US [Black Panther
|
||
Party](Black_Panther_Party "wikilink"), particularly [Huey
|
||
Newton’s](Huey_Newton "wikilink") policy of black unity. They located
|
||
the causes of [Māori](Māori "wikilink") and Pacific Island oppression
|
||
within the exploitative social relations of capitalism. Consequently,
|
||
the Polynesian Panthers promoted a strategy of liberatio based on the
|
||
complete overthrow of the capitalist system and the social relations
|
||
necessary for its development. The group greatly increased in profile
|
||
during an immigration scare campaign in 1975, and the subsequent police
|
||
raids.
|
||
|
||
## Foundation
|
||
|
||
The Polynesian Panther Movement was founded in inner city Auckland on 16
|
||
June 1971 by six young Pacific Islander men: Fred Schmidt, Nooroa
|
||
Teavae, Paul Dapp, Vaughan Sanft, Eddie Williams and Will 'Ilolahia. At
|
||
the time many Pacific Island youth were supporters of Māori political
|
||
initiatives such as the [Bastion Point
|
||
occupation](Bastion_Point_Occupation "wikilink") and [Waitangi Day
|
||
protests](Waitangi_Day_Protests "wikilink"), and gained skills in
|
||
political lobbying and processes which they used to raise the profile of
|
||
Pacific people in New Zealand. Because of the working-class background
|
||
of its members the movement concerned itself with issues relating to
|
||
unequal pay and unsatisfactory working conditions.
|
||
|
||
Headquarters were established in Ponsonby and the Polynesian Panthers
|
||
began to organise activities, among them were homework centres for
|
||
Pacific children, visiting Pacific Islander prisoners as well as
|
||
providing transport for their families to visit, running programs
|
||
educating Pacific Islanders on their rights as New Zealand citizens and
|
||
protesting the eviction of tenants in poor communities by private
|
||
security firms. Within a few years the movement had expanded nationally
|
||
with chapters in South Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, as well as
|
||
several chapters in prisons.
|
||
|
||
## Activism
|
||
|
||
The Polynesian Panthers protested the controversial "dawn raids", which
|
||
were introduced in 1973. The raids involved police storming the homes of
|
||
people who had overstayed temporary working visas, typically at dawn.
|
||
Though the majority of people overstaying such visas were from the UK,
|
||
Australia and South Africa, the dawn raids disproportionately targeted
|
||
over-stayers of Pacific Islander heritage. In protest, Polynesian
|
||
Panther members would organise "raids" on the homes of prominent
|
||
politicians in favour of the policy, surrounding them and chanting with
|
||
megaphones. The government's dawn raids ended less than three weeks
|
||
after the Panthers began their counter raids.
|
||
|
||
In 1975, the Panthers also started a task-force known as the Police
|
||
Investigation Group Patrol, or PIG Patrol, which was a response to
|
||
aggressive policies of the New Zealand police force towards Pacific
|
||
Islanders. Policies of the police at the time included frequently
|
||
approaching Pacific Islanders and asking to see their passport. Anyone
|
||
who did not have their passport on their person could be taken to prison
|
||
and held until their passport was provided. Convoys of police vehicles
|
||
would frequently approach bars frequently by Pacific Islanders, and were
|
||
accused of provoking fights. In response, the PIG Patrol monitored
|
||
police convoys and phoned in their locations.
|
||
|
||
The last major activism undertaken by the Panthers was protesting the
|
||
1981 Sprinkbok Tour. Panther member Tigilau Ness was imprisoned for his
|
||
role in the protests. Founding panther member Will 'Ilolahia was also
|
||
arrested for helping organise the protests, and was facing 10 years in
|
||
prison if convicted. Following a two year trial, he was found not
|
||
guilty, a verdict that was partially attributed to Desmond Tutu flying
|
||
from South Africa specifically to act as a character witness for the
|
||
Panthers. After describing the Panthers as liberators and defender of
|
||
human rights, and attributing their actions as playing a role in the end
|
||
of apartheid, a jury took 1 hour and 10 minutes to find 'Ilolahia not
|
||
guilty. As he was leaving the courthouse, 'Ilolahia states that police
|
||
threatened him with violence, resulting in him returning to Tonga for
|
||
his safety. As most of the Panther's duties at the time were organised
|
||
by 'Ilolahia, his departure from New Zealand effectively resulted in the
|
||
end of the organisation. |