From Concord, California; Tutuila, American Samoa; to Auckland, New Zealand — Samoa News covered & participated in the Black Lives Matter rallies and protests over the past weeks in support of removing ‘knees from our necks’ through community participation in making changes, not only by speaking out but also respecting each other — who we are — and working to eliminate racism, through community activism.

FROM AMERICAN SAMOA #AmericanSamoa ForBlackLivesMatter

A group of people gathered in the territory last Saturday morning to walk from Fatu ma Futi to Utulei Beach in an effort to show their support for the Black Lives Matter Movement & resulting protests against racism that are taking place all around the world.

A representative of the group told Samoa News that conducting this peaceful demonstration in the territory is a true sign of support to show the world that they care about other people and they want to speak out about things that matter in life. [photos: AF]

FROM CALIFORNIA, SAMOAN POET SIA FIGIEL

WOUNDED MOON
2020

Tonight, the fires of

revolution continue

to burn across cities 

on the asphalt where 

the blood of another black

man; George Floyd is

freshly caked under

a wounded Moon

Grieving stars fall into

the mouths of

ordinary wo(men) whose

demands for justice are 

met by a deaf
-
toned President shame

lessly holding

a bible before

a church after call

ing governors 

weak jerks who must 

dominate

with aggression

and violence

spurring the virus 

of hate across

a nation where the colored 

and the other are moving

targets asphyxiated under 

history´s brutal boots 

--to serve and protect

(ap photo)

And the wounded Moon looks 

down from the heavens

Her sorrow an

imprint on the rage

and the fury

and the tears

and the cries

ascending

above the tear gas

above the sirens
End! This! Now!

(ap photo)

Māsina Gasetoto

I le pō nei, o lo´o sasao pea

afi o fouvalega

i le tele o 'a'ai

i luga o aualatā

o lo'o to'a ai le toto masa’a

o se isi fo´i tama uli,

o George Floyd

i lalo ifo o le Māsina gasetoto.
O fetu faavauvau ua na’o le to’ulu i totonu

o fofoga o tama'ita'i ma ali'i ma o latou

mana'oga mo le faamasinoga tonu ae faafetaia'i

e se Peresitene faataligatuli toe leai se maasias
i
e umia ai le Tusi Pa'ia i luma o se falesā

ina ua faato'a uma ona ia tuua'ia

le vaivai o kovana

sa tatau ona tutū malosi

e faafetaui le au solotete'e

i le sauā

ua na'o pua'iga o le siama o le feitaga'i

i le atunu'u atoa

i tagata lanu ma isi

ua pei o ni matātogi feoa'i

e titina e le talafaasolopito o se'evae sauā (o leoleo)

— e 'au'auna ma malu puipui.

(ap photo)

A´o pupula ifo si Māsina gasetoto

mai lagi sautuafia

O lona faanoanoaga ua avea ma se

mata'itusi i luga o le fefe

ma le mata'u

ma loifofoga

ma le tagiauē

ua a´e

i luga atu

o kasa loimata

ma sailigi.
Faauma! Nei! Loa!


Sia Figiel [nzepc.auckland.ac.nz]

FROM NEW ZEALAND THOUSANDS MARCH FOR BLACK LIVES MATTER

Thousands of New Zealanders have marched at Black Lives Matter rallies in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin Sunday afternoon.

Over the past three weeks, people across the US have already protested over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in police custody. Since then, the Black Lives Matter movement has come to life again throughout many countries, with protesters taking to the streets, demanding an end to police brutality and racism.

In Dunedin, hundreds of people gathered at the Otago Museum reserve to show solidarity with the movement. They marched down George Street to the Octagon, where a rally was held.

The Auckland march, which started at Aotea Square, headed down Queen St and ended at the US consulate, where protesters took a knee and observed a minute of silence for George Floyd.

The Auckland rally opened with a karakia at Aotea Square and a mihi whakatau from Graham Tipene of Ngāti Whātua, who told the crowd to "keep it peaceful".

"Our kids are here, so let's do it right and fight for what's right."

There were some counter-protesters, including some who yelled out 'all lives matter' during speeches, but those there for the BLM gathering were told to ignore them, or to take a knee if they saw them.

Members of the Ethiopian and Somalian communities addressed the crowd on the Black Lives matter movement, along with social justice campaigner Julia Whaipooti, who talked about the use of armed police in predominantly Māori and Pasifika areas.

"For many of us this is not a new moment in time, not a hashtag on Instagram."

Will 'Ilolahia, a founding member of the Polynesian Panthers, told the crowd they were "a part of history" and that pulling down monuments was a side issue to the greater problem.

He said those seeking change should not be despondent at the slow rate of transformation.

Aotearoa and the rest of the world is going to be changed by you. Not me, I've done my time," 'Ilolahia said.

He joked that he had to use cue cards to read his speech because he'd had too many batons and 2x4s to the head.

Ilolahia told the protesters not to just stand by if they witnessed racism, "change it, because that's what the revolution is all about".

"We're going to work together from now on and that's why I'm labelling you as part of history because we're going to change this place to be a better place."

Auckland based Somali-NZ rapper Mo Muse performed a piece written in the past two weeks, saying "they love to profit off our pain".

"Tell Winston Peters he can see me in hell cos we won't be silenced."

Emilie Rakete, from People Against Prisons Aotearoa and the Arms Down movement, also spoke about armed police and said the "truth is that we live on a graveyard in Aotearoa", with police laying down the bodies.

"When the cops say hands up, we say arms down."

Organisers then lead the crowd in a chant: "Ain't no power like the power of the people because the power of the people won't stop!'

AUT academic Camille Nakhid, who studied police discrimination against the African community in New Zealand, said racism was the knee on the neck of Māori, Pasifika and other communities of colour in New Zealand.

"Everything is talking and thinking about the murder of George Floyd in the US and the knee that was on his neck. But I want to talk about the knees on our neck, the Black indigenous people of colour in Aotearoa".

She said things such as putting students into lower streams in schools, lower standards of health and the uplifting of children were the knees upon the neck of people of colour in this country.

"This protest is because we love who we are. Do not let them turn our love into hate against each other.

"We have to remain awake because we need to get those knees off our neck."

WELLINGTON

Thousands of people gathered in Civic Square, Wellington, to march to Parliament in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

The march was organized by a group of community advocates, including Guled Mire.

Speakers included city councillor Tamatha Paul, who asked the people of New Zealand to unite against racism here.

A haka was performed ahead of the march, and protestors walked down Lambton Quay yelling "no justice, no peace".

Mire said it was as much about systemic racism facing Māori, Pacifika and other minorities in New Zealand, as it was about the US.

"Rallying and showing up to stand with our African brothers and sister is incredibly important but we also need to acknowledge what's happening here. If we're not doing that, it's quite pointless," Mire said.

"We're taking a stand against racism that manifests here in Aotearoa. We need to be able to acknowledge our history. We need to acknowledge what's happening to Māori, Pasifika, including the community that I come from — the African community."

(Source: RNZ Pacific)