Public Demonstration against Guilt Upon Accusation, 12noon, Thurs 19 Feb, Parliament steps, Wellington
Creative Freedom Foundation Press Release about Public Demonstration against Guilt Upon Accusation, Parliament steps, Wellington, 12 Noon, Thurs 19 Feb:
The Creative Freedom Foundation announces that at 12 Noon on Thursday 19 February 2009 a public demonstration will be held on Parliament grounds in Wellington in support of MPs against Guilt Upon Accusation laws in New Zealand – specifically the controversial Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment Act, due to come into effect on 28 February 2009.
S92A reverses New Zealander’s fundamental right to being presumed innocent until proven guilty, punishing internet users with disconnection based accusations of copyright infringement without a trial and without evidence held up to court scrutiny.
Over 10,000 people have now signed the CFF’s petition against Guilt Upon Accusation laws in NZ. At 12.30pm, as part of the demonstration, CFF Director Bronwyn Holloway-Smith will present the petition to the government via Hon Peter Dunne of UnitedFuture.
The CFF call on the Minister responsible Hon Simon Power to immediately repeal S92A or delay its commencement, pending a review of how to best balance the rights and obligations of creators, distributors, and Internet Service Providers with respect to digital materials. Those opposing S92A can email Mr Power on s.power@ministers.govt.nz, respectfully notifying him of their concerns. Holloway-Smith states that “while we understand that New Zealanders are passionate about this issue, letters should be polite.”
Each MP will also be given a copy of a CD featuring the Creative Freedom Foundation’s Guilt Upon Accusation anthem: The Copywrong Song.
The organisers of the protest are asking participants to turn up wearing colourful clothes and with black placards – echoing the Internet Blackout campaign that has seen thousands of internet users “blacking out” their webpages, blogs, and social networking sites to show their opposition to the law.
Download The Copywrong Song and find instructions on how to take part in the blackout campaign can be found on CreativeFreedom.org.nz
I urge all of you who are able to attend this demonstration. Elpie has a good blog post that explains why it is important that New Zealand doesn’t become the first country to allow guilt upon accusation laws.
Please get to the demonstration! Civil servants, if you can’t take political action, go “watch” the demonstration at lunchtime.
