The National Front is planning to attend ANZAC day ceremonies tomorrow - and it has attracted the expected response from the RSA:
"The RSA would be obviously appalled and it would disgust most New Zealanders. New Zealand does not need groups like these," [RSA CEO Pat] Herbert said.The RSA could not stop National Front members attending services but "they certainly will not be welcomed if they come flying their colours".
Herbert said the National Front represented everything Anzac soldiers had fought against.
Talk about shooting themselves in the foot...
2 comments:
A message posted to a mailing list by Phil Ferguson:
The ANZACs had nothing to do with fighting fascism.
ANZAC Day and the ANZACs come from the time that NZ, along with Britain, France and Australia, tried to invade Turkey. They got what they deserved - a bloody hiding at the hands of the Turks who were trying to defend their own country.
The tragedy was that most of the Anzacs were probably just ordinary working class guys who joined up thinking imperialist war was a big adventure, like the characters in Mel Gibson's "Gallipoli", which is actually an OK film in some ways (much better than the stuff he's done in the past 20 years).
At the time, btw, NZ operated a vigorous 'White New Zealand' immigration policy. After WW1, the RSA was a leading campaigning force (along with the Labour Party and the right-wing nationalist National Defence League) for making the White NZ immigration policy even stronger.
Most RSA branches in the period after WW1 actually had support for White NZ enshrined in their charters. It was one of the main platform points of the RSA nationally. The RSA also tried to organise boycotts of shops owned by Asians.
If you take a look at the RSA journal of the time, 'Quick March', you'll find that the NF's anti-Asian racism has a long history in respectable nationalist NZ.
Posted by Bad : 4/24/2005 01:31:00 PM
yeah, bit of an over reaction there from 'bad', but he does have a point, gallipoli was fought by generals/admirals who were firmly in the imperialist camp.
and, a little known fact is that NZL actually opposed inital international efforts to boycott apartheid south africa. too many racists in the ranks at that time.
but, bad is overlooking that the ANZAC tradition was carried over into the second world war, were our nation fought against the fascism scum the NF represents.
Posted by the other 'Che' : 4/25/2005 09:41:00 AM
Post a Comment
(Anonymous comments are enabled).