In 2010 the National Party suspended Cantabrians' democratic right to elect their local government, and imposed a dictatorship to give their water away to farmers. Now, the people of Canterbury are symbolicly taking their democracy back:
Around 100 water activists have stormed the offices of Environment Canterbury (Ecan) in Christchurch on Thursday morning.
The group is demanding that local democracy be returned to the people of Canterbury so they can get on with saving the region's ailing rivers.
"We are standing up for our rivers and we are taking our democracy back," says Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop.
"We will not to be silenced and we will not stand aside and let our rivers continue to be destroyed by too many cows."
This should have happened a long time ago. National's dictatorship in Canterbury has allowed farmers to continue to suck the rivers dry and fill them with shit. This isn't just bad for the environment - it threatens to poison Christchurch's water supply and poses a widespread threat to public health. And it happens because the voters of Canterbury are prevented by the government from electing a regional council which will protect them from farmers.
The Canterbury dictatorship has to go. Full elections now!
