Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) congratulates New Zealand film director Jane Campion over her request for her 1989 debut film Sweetie to be withdrawn from apartheid Israel’s Jerusalem Film Festival.

The announcement was made by Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) late last night.

We are delighted to have an esteemed New Zealand director join at least four other international film directors — from the Basque region in Spain, United Kingdom and the United States — in requesting their films be withdrawn from the festival which is partnered with the Israeli Ministry of Culture.

• READ MORE: Filmmakers withdraw from apartheid Israel’s Jerusalem Film Festival
• Other BDS reports
• The PSNA website

This is a moment of pride for Aotearoa New Zealand — similar to the pride felt when New Zealand entertainer Lorde cancelled a scheduled concert in Israel in 2018.

At a time when Palestinians are suffering immeasurably under the most fanatical, openly racist Israeli government ever, this solidarity action will be deeply appreciated by Palestinians everywhere.

These film directors are taking action where governments — New Zealand included — have failed morally and politically, again and again and again to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people.

This is similar to the fight against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s when it was civil society organisations around the world, and in New Zealand, which led the anti-apartheid struggle outside South Africa while Western governments either colluded with the regime or looked the other way.

John Minto is national chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

The Sweetie trailer.

Greens’ co-leader Marama Davidson believes she knows who was riding the motorbike that hit her during a protest against British anti-transgender activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker.

Asked by Radio Waatea host Dale Husband whether it was Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki under the helmet, she said it was definitely a member of Tamaki’s group, which diverted past the Albert Park protest on the way to Tamaki’s own rally at Aotea Square.

• READ MORE: Posie Parker departs NZ – JK Rowling blasts protest as ‘repellent’
• Marama Davidson hit by motorcyclist after Posie Parker protest
• Listen to Radio Waatea

“It was them, I’m really clear about that, and the rest of it is under police complaint so I will try not to jeopardise that investigation but I can confidently say I know who it was,” Davidson said.

She said she was in shock when she made a statement to a rightwing Counterspin Media videographer shortly after that “white cis men” were the main perpetrators of family violence, and she stood by her position that it was men rather than trans people who were the biggest threat to women.

Opposition National, ACT and New Zealand First parties called for her to be sacked as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence for her comments, while they also supported Keen-Minshull’s visit on free speech grounds.

About 100 people have marched in the New Caledonian capital of Noumea to protest against what they see as government inaction to curb violence against women.

The rally was called by the group Women in Anger just days after the latest killing of a woman at the hands of her partner.

The marchers went from the seat of government to Congress and to the French High Commission to deliver a letter calling on support for their cause from France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron.

• READ MORE: Valentine Holle : ‘On a l’impression que dans ce pays, les femmes sont là pour se faire tuer’ – Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes
• Other reports on Pacific domestic violence

March organiser Valentine Holle told La Premiere television she wanted the government to come up with a feasible plan of action.

“We need to change the tribal laws and traditional rules and we need the French state to acknowledge these issues. We also need the French state to seat themselves around the table with civil society and discuss a viable solution,” Holle said.

The weekend march was the second such protest in Noumea in less than a month and follows another rally earlier this year.

In mid-July, a 35-year-old woman was killed in Noumea.

Seven times higher than France
Crime figures released for New Caledonia show that last year the incidence of domestic violence was seven times higher than in mainland France.

The statistics released by the French High Commission show the number of reported incidents had grown by 13 percent from 2020.

Reports of sexual violence had increased by more than 30 percent.

The report shows that abuse of alcohol and drugs is frequently linked to violent offending.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.