Over one hundred New Zealand Chinese rallied on Dec. 2 at Auckland’s Aotea Square, mourning victims of a fatal apartment fire in Urumqi and showing solidarity with Chinese protests against the regime’s zero-COVID policy. Members of New Zealand’s parliament showed support.
At the rally on the evening of Dec. 2, the walls of Aotea Square were covered with A4-sized papers condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Participants sang songs in memory of those who died in the Urumqi fire, and chanted “Step down CCP!” “Step down Xi Jinping!” “We want democracy and freedom!” and “Freedom or death!”
The fire on Nov. 24 killed at least 10 people in a quarantined building in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang region, with unofficial estimates indicating the number was much greater.
Social media posts claimed that residents may have been unable to escape the flames due to lockdown measures, and it appears that pandemic barriers kept fire engines from reaching the fire.
MP O‘Connor: ’I Am Proud To Stand With You’
At the Auckland rally, Simon O’Connor, a New Zealand MP and the National Party’s spokesman for arts, culture, and heritage, said he was honored to stand beside Chinese protesters.
“One of the things I’ve learned about autocratic governments like the CCP is that the first victims are the people of that country. In terms of the CCP, the first victims are the Chinese people themselves and we stand here tonight in solidarity with them all,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor went on to say, “We remember tonight, particularly, the ten who died in Urumqi and the thousands and thousands of your compatriots been locked up again by an autocratic government which rejects the most basic and fundamental human freedoms.”
O’Connor concluded by paying tribute to those who participated in the rally, hailing them for their courage.
“I am proud to stand with you,” O’Connor said.
Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman, the party’s spokesperson for human rights and foreign affairs, conveyed her support for the event through a representative and apologized for not being able to attend in person.
In a letter to participants, Ghahraman recounted how she came to New Zealand as a refugee from Iran. She recalled how in her native country, the death of a Kurdish woman sparked national protests, similar to what is happening currently in China.
“I, too, understand what it is to protest in New Zealand, under the shadow of surveillance from the government I escaped. We cannot let them take our solidarity and courage from us.”
Ghahraman said, “We must create these new spaces for freedom and find strength in new connections between those of us yearning for something better. Stand with Urumqi. Stand with China. Stand with all oppressed people.”
Renewed Hope as Younger Generation Stands Up
Rally participants came from different walks of life and nationalities; many were students. Some told The Epoch Times they learned about the rally through social media.Chen Weiming, a sculptor living in New Zealand, told rally attendees that he had been disappointed by what he deemed the younger generation’s blind worship of the CCP and focus on material comfort. Seeing the large number of students at the rally, however, he said he feels renewed hope.
“I am very glad to see that you, the new generation, are standing up.”
He said protesters have “inherited the spirit of freedom,” a legacy of the 1989 pro-democracy movement that culminated in the Tiananmen Square massacre. The recent protests in China are the largest since the 1989 protests.
“Today, as we mourn our compatriots who were burned to death in Urumqi, our pursuit of freedom and democracy is also being raised. I feel deeply that there is hope for our country and our nation.”
‘Be Braver for Each Other’
A young woman who identified herself only by her surname Ma told The Epoch Times she has been in New Zealand for just a few years. She attended the rally because she wanted to do something for her fellow Chinese. She admitted to being afraid but said she overcame her fear to attend.“New Zealanders have fought for their freedom so that we can speak freely here today,” she said.
“What endures? It’s how we care for each other; it’s the courage to persevere even when we don’t see hope. So, from today on, I hope that we can be braver for each other,” she added.
Ma said she has friends who work in the communist party system but are saddened when they are forced to arrest protesting students.
‘The Responsibility of Every Chinese’
A student from China named Stephanie told The Epoch Times she arrived in New Zealand just weeks ago and was eager to join the rally.Stephanie said that her family was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution from 1966–1976, which resulted in the deaths of millions of Chinese. Her grandparents were forced to beg for food, and she has hated the communist party since she was a child.
In 2008, Stephanie learned how to “flip the wall”—using a VPN to get around China’s internet firewall. She read The Epoch Times’ editorial series “Nine Comments on the Communist Party” for the first time. The work gave her a clearer understanding of the CCP, she said.
“It is the responsibility of every Chinese, especially the contemporary Chinese, to stand up for themselves. If no one comes forward, China will always be in the dark,” Stephanie said.
