Protest Report: Beneficiaries Day in Aotearoa/New Zealand

September 25th is Beneficiaries Day. Its purpose is to show support and solidarity for all those in the population who are partly or completely dependent on a benefit to survive. This includes many categories of people from the unemployed to the working poor and beyond.

In preparation for Beneficiaries Day, Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement (AWSM) distributed posters and leaflets across the country in locations such as Dunedin, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Auckland, and elsewhere. In addition to the general public, recipients included the offices of Labour and National Party MPs and unions. We also posted material on our website and other social media.

On the day itself, members of AWSM and supporters physically staged demonstrations outside Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) and Ministry of Social Development (MSD) offices in various locations, including Wellington, Rotorua, and Hamilton. These demonstrations were small in scale but participants felt it was worthwhile. By interacting with the public in this way, we were able to raise public awareness of the issues around the subject of state-managed poverty.

We look forward to widening the scope of our activities in the future and expanding our participation in events such as Beneficiaries Day, working alongside anyone sympathetic to the plight of the poor in Aotearoa.

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