Occupy Wall Street movement spreads to NZ
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Xinhua, October 15, 2011
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| File photo: "Occupy" protests that started in Wall Street in September is quickly spreading across the globe as protesters gear up for the international Day of Action on Saturday. |
Hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters marched in New Zealand's major cities on Saturday, as a symbol of solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement which spreads around the world.
In the capital of Wellington, at least 200 people rallied on Wellington's city to sea bridge at the Civic Square and intend to occupy it for a week, Radio New Zealand reported.
In Auckland, about 300 protesters, armed with placards sporting slogans such as "We are the 99%" and "Stop Corporate Greed", marched up Queen Street in Auckland city center, ahead of a rally in Aotea Square.
In South Island city of Christchurch, around 30 people gathered at Hagley Park.
Rallies also took place in Dunedin and New Plymouth.
Rob Read, a spokesperson for the Occupy Aotearoa group, said their focus is on the growing inequality in society and corporate greed, according to a Radio New Zealand report.
Read said he will be staying in Hagley Park of Christchurch for as long as it takes to make a difference against what he says is a system that leaves millions in poverty.
The anti-greed protests started a month ago in a park close to New York's Wall Street and have spread to more than 1400 cities globally.
The movement is against greed by the finance sector and politicians and is out to represent the 99 percent who do not receive the wealth that the remaining one percent do.
An international study found that 1 percent of the U.S. population holds 33 percent of the wealth.
According to a Statistics New Zealand survey from 2006, 1 percent of the country's population holds 16 percent of the wealth.
