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FAQ regarding 20 September

Why are you organising this action?

We are aware that there has been extensive discussion, organisation and expression of intent from anti-trans activists and far right actors to enter the CBD on Wednesday 20th September, with the goal to harass and harm our communities and allies. We are organising this non-violent action to provide harm reduction should these violent people act on these intentions. We are stronger together in solidarity.

Will your action be safe to attend?

Due to this risk of violence from anti-trans activists and far right actors, there is absolutely no guarantee that attending our action will be safe to attend. Each person must evaluate the risks and decide for themselves whether they accept the risks that come with protesting or not.

Where can I be safe in the CBD on Wednesday 20th?

There is no place where safety can be guaranteed in the CBD. Anti-trans gatherings are planned at St Patrick Square, Albert Park and outside the courts. Some have also expressed intent to patrol the city seeking vulnerable or isolated people to harass/harm. It is for this reason that we encourage safety in numbers where possible.

Shouldn’t the priority be safety?

Safety is our priority. The purpose of this action is to provide non-violent support to those who are unable or unwilling to avoid violent people in the CBD. Without support, they will all be in a potentially very unsafe, vulnerable position.

Why can’t we all just stay home?

Staying home is not a solution. Some of our most vulnerable do not have homes to stay in. We cannot ask nor expect everyone to be able to take time off work, delay access to urgent medical care or skip schooling. Beyond this, there is no way to ensure we “all” do anything; regardless of whether our harm reduction action was taking place or not, there would be those who choose to enter the CBD in awareness of the risk in order to show resistance to anti-trans activists and far right actors.

Who would be unable to avoid the CBD?

Many people within our communities and allies in the general public live, work and study in the CBD. They will be navigating into and around the area, likely unaware of the risk. Some of our most vulnerable do not have access to our online communities and will have no opportunity to be made aware prior to the day.

Why not gather somewhere else?

Those who are at the most risk will need urgent access to resources, information and medical aid. Gathering far away from the CBD will not allow urgent response.

Why not leave urgent response to emergency services?

Police do not often succeed in attempts to protect our communities. We cannot rely on them alone. The extended trans community and police have a tumultuous history, and many trans people distrust police based on their lived experiences of systemic discrimination and violence. Additionally, the medical system is under immense pressure at the moment and it would be reckless to assume EMTs could attend with the urgency that may be required to save lives. Reducing reliance on these services also protects us from the damage of any personal or organisational political agenda that could result in the deprioritising of the safety of our communities.

Who have you consulted with?

Groups and individuals with experience in organising grassroots community action that prioritise caring for those most at risk of violence on the ground. Remember that consultation does not mean we came to a unanimous agreement on action. We have sought information, insight and advice. There are and will continue to be people within our communities who disagree with our action, just as there were in March.

Does TLA represent the trans community?

TLA does not intend or claim to represent the entire community. We speak for ourselves and stand by our words. Trans people are not a monolith with one unified understanding or opinion; nobody can claim to speak for us all, and any attempt to do so would be incredibly ignorant.

Why are you continuing with this action despite calls to cancel from some members of the public?

We have listened through extensive hours of consultation, and are listening to public feedback continually. Thus far, there have been no concerns raised nor support offered that we believe will achieve a fair and appropriate alternative to supporting our most vulnerable on the ground on 20 September.

Will your team accept the consequences should anyone be harmed while attending your action?

Anyone attending our action will be informed of the risk they are personally accepting. The consequences of any harm should rest with those who are committing acts of violence - not those organizing to support our community or those providing guidance so as to ensure all of us are informed and supported.

What safety measures will you be implementing on the day?

Our intent is to aid the safety of our extended trans whānau and to prevent violence or unmanaged confrontation, aiding with de-escalation instead.

We are doing this by providing:

First Aid Kits

Safety marshalls in hi vis vests that can be approached for non-violent support at any time.

Marshalls with first aid training

Water and high-glucose snacks for people with diabetes or other conditions

Face masks to prevent Covid and for anti-doxxing purposes

Info sheets on mindfulness

Marshalls trained to support mindfulness practice and to assist in the instance of a mental health crisis.

We ask that people who choose to attend:

Bring water

Wear a mask

Dress for the weather

If you wish to conceal your identity for anti-doxxing purposes (which we recommend), cover tattoos, piercings, and other identifying features

Travel in groups at all times possible (if you find yourself becoming isolated, please reach out to one of our marshalls or the allies around you)

Keep hydrated and fed when possible

Assist us in keeping themselves and those around them safe by responding with non-violence.

Observe their own capacities and limits. Take care of themselves and step back when they need to.

Respect the capacities and limits of others. We are all different.

Only involve those around them in actions which people have explicitly consented to. Understand that how we each individually behave will affect those around us, particularly those who are further marginalised, as discussed below.

When considering whether to attend this event, think about your safety. The goal for the event is to bring together as many people as possible who can be as safe as possible in counter protest. This is an area where our collective privileges can be a strength in making the event safer for everybody. It's an unfortunate fact that non-disabled, pākehā, cis volunteers will be safer in counter protest than mana whenua, disabled people, trans people, and other marginalised groups. We ask that all attendees take their respective privileges into consideration when attending, and understand any risk posed to yourself may be lower, or higher, than the risk posed to others. Some people are at higher risk of being targeted by fascists and this is important to understand so that we can support one another as effectively as possible. We may need to move quickly as directed by marshals.

If you are concerned, there are other ways to support the event by sharing information online, or – if, and only if, you can afford it without harming yourself – donating funds to the ground teams. [Donation details to come soon!]

Please do not put yourself at heightened risk without seriously considering the risk posed to yourself and ensuring that you are comfortable with that risk.

This event exists to reduce the likely harm for those in our communities who intended to protest despite the risks and their vulnerabilities, and for those who would be exposed to risk of violence in their daily lives.

If you are vulnerable and wish to protest anyway, we are working to ensure you are not alone.

How can I help keep people safe if I can’t attend?

Spread the word. We accept that not everyone will be willing or able to risk their personal safety to protect people on the ground in the CBD on 20 September. It is for that precise reason that we are calling for support from those who are willing and able to do so, in full awareness of the risk they are taking on by doing so. Share this information accurately with intent to support our action, to support our communities, and to reduce the risk of anyone being left alone to face this threat.

Note: This FAQ can be found originally at: https://www.tla.org.nz/post/faq-regarding-20-september

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Read here for our full statement regarding 20th September. Scroll down to the previous post to see the body text for accessibility, for example, people who use screen-readers.

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Kia ora to our trans, takatāpui, gender non-confoming, irawhiti, MVPFAFF+ supporters, and other members of the marginalised gender whānau.

Despite Posie Parker's cancellation of her visit to Aotearoa, on Wednesday 20th September, a number of conservative, transphobic organisers intend to hold another anti-trans rally in St. Patricks Square, Tāmaki Makarau CBD between 1:00pm to 3:00pm.

For the past several weeks, we have been preparing for this date in the following ways:

Organising ground support focused on non-violent harm reduction practices. These take the form of marshalls and medics on the day.

Gathering resources and surveying the political landscape to stay better informed about risks to our community.

Consultation with key figures and groups within the landscape of leftist activism in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Launched a petition calling for Minister Little to deny Posie Parker re-entry into Aotearoa by using his ministerial discretion granted under s.16 of the Immigration Act 2009.

Emailed Minister Little with the above request and emailed Ministers Sepuloni and Davidson requesting their support.

We've had extensive discussions within our community about the appropriate way to respond to the impact on Aotearoa of the continuous anti-trans campaigning and organising being advanced by the far right.

There have, and continue to be, threats of violence and implication from far right actors that they intend to bring weapons, such as firearms. We cannot currently prove the veracity of these threats, but nor can we dismiss them, given the sheer volume, persistence and severity of the threats being made. We additionally have in our recent memories the numerous accounts of violence perpetrated against our community at Standing For Women's previous rally in March (and Vision NZ's rally respectively), and multiple incidents of both threatened and perpetrated acts of violence being committed against vulnerable individuals in our community over these recent months. Because of this, we want to stress that the risk of violence towards the general public is extremely high.

As an organisation, Trans Liberation Alliance (TLA) considers the safety of our extended trans whānau and allies to be paramount. It is for this reason and after serious deliberation and consideration of the above factors, that TLA as an organisation is announcing that we are holding a non-violent action on 20th Sept by St. Patrick's Square.

TLA believes that this act - with its focus on non-violence, harm reduction and direct action - is most in line with our kaupapa as an organisation. We believe this is what will make a genuine difference at a ground level in our community, rather than vying for popularity, dictating to the public in the name of optics, debating hypotheticals from the sidelines, or relying on institutions and structures which have historically failed us.

To be blunt, telling people to stay home is not a solution. Our community has, does, and will continue to exist in the world and many of us do not have the privilege of choosing which spaces we will inhabit. Many trans people call the Tāmaki Makaurau city centre their home, and many more live in, or spend considerable amounts of time in the city centre residential areas. Any failure to acknowledge this, and keep these most vulnerable people safe, is a failure to stand by our community.

Past experience has shown we are most vulnerable when we are spread thin. This was a deciding factor in how we wanted to achieve collective safety: through a non-violent action in one central location.

We're aware that people and organisations within our community - and beyond - will criticise TLA's choice. This is not ideal, but in a community with so many diverse voices, difference in opinion is inevitable. We are comfortable with our decision for nonviolent action on the day. It is one that has not been made lightly.

Those within our community and their allies who inevitably leave their homes on 20 September, whether it be to attend our action, or because they do not have a choice, will risk their personal safety. We do not say this to instil fear, but based on the words chosen by those associated with Posie Parker's rhetoric, we can only assume the worst.

Because our kaupapa as an organisation is non-violent harm reduction and direct action, TLA believes it is our duty to show up in solidarity to support the safety of those who choose to counter-protest on the day, or those who may be at risk for other reasons. Our purpose on 20 September will be to lend whatever non-violent protection and assistance we can provide to our extended whānau.

Moving forward, all official communications regarding our action and the safety measures we will be implementing will be released through the following channels:

Instagram: @_trans_liberated X (f.k.a Twitter): @transliberated Facebook: https://facebook.com/transliberationalliance BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/transliberated.bsky.social e

We understand this is short notice, but if you support TLA’s kaupapa of non-violent direct action, please show up on Wednesday 20th September at St. Patrick's Square, Tāmaki Makaurau CBD. Bring your trans love, rage, and passion, for the sake of our collective safety and to stand up for our right to exist.

Kia kaha, kia manawanui,

Trans Liberation Alliance (TLA)