[Marxism] ANZAC Day in New Zealand

[Philip Ferguson <plf13@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Today (Sunday, April 25) is Anzac Day in New Zealand.  Anzac Day was
started to commemorate the NZ and Australian soldiers who died at
Gallipoli in World War I.  In other words, those who died invading
Turkey.

Later, it became a general day commemorating NZ (and Australian)
soldiers who died in WW2, Korea, Vietnam, etc.

It's a public holiday, but since it is always on April 25, this means we
miss out on a day off it April 25 falls at the weekend.

There are usually dawn parades and other ceremonies organised by the
Returned Servicemen's Association.

During Vietnam, Anzac Day became a focus for anti-war pickets and
disruptions, especially as the RSA was an extremely reactionary
organisation in those days.

Anzac Day kind of went out of fashion a bit after Vietnam took the
'shine' off imperialism for a while.

More recently, however, Anzac day has been kind of reinvented or
rehabilitated in a sort of politically-correct, liberal, but still
pro-imperialist way.  Now it formally commemorates a kind of sorrow and
mourning and respect for people's sacrifices, with the more blatant
imperialist aspects being subordinated to these.  In a sense, therefore,
it's more pernicious now.

Anyway, below is a post from a comrade in Wellington about Peace Action
Wellington (PAW, the main antiwar group in the capital) and the
Anti-Capitalist Alliance's intervention into Anzac Day in the capital:

> A dozen or so Peace Action Wellington and ACA members held up signs
opposing US occupation of Iraq beside a Food not Bombs tea table at the
9am Wellington Cenotaph commemoration. The PAW and Students Against War
wreaths we laid as part of the official ceremony. The PAW one was in the
shape of a ban the bomb sign and said "to the victims of Empire from
Gallipoli to Fallujah". Our other one was a re enaction of a wreath laid
by 1973 VUSA President Peter Wilson. Peter's said "to the dead and dying
victims of imperialism, victory shall be theirs" to which Nick added
"the struggle for socialism continues".  There was also a short
anti-imperialist ACA leaflet circulating.  After the wreaths we followed
the parade up the road with our banners and then disbanded instead of
going into the cathedral to hear the mayor's speech. An hour later I
went for a long run and checked the Cenotaph out. Our wreaths were there
with all the others, unlikely to be tampered with as there was a
security guard stationed there for the day! A steady stream of people
were coming up to scrutinise all the wreaths, so our message is getting
out there nicely. I thought it was a good intervention; a low key but
clear and definite anti-imperialist message.

Don




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