The Wire with Joel

Last night hundreds gathered outside the General Library at the University of Auckland to rally in support of students in Palestine. The action was inspired by, and in solidarity with, students in campuses across the United States. Thousands of US students have set up encampments to protest their University and Government’s role in supporting Israel to carry out a genocide in Gaza.

Caeden spoke to one of the leaders of the action in Tāmaki Makaurau, Layan Khalil. They started by asking her to describe Student Justice for Palestine.

They also spoke to Yale University student Andre Fa’aoso about the protests on the ground in the United States. Andre is a former Wire host and has been reporting on the events for the Yale Daily News. They spoke about the reports of both police violence against protestors and anti-semitism from protestors, and the goals and demands of the striking students. It comes as US College Presidents, including the Yale President, have been summoned to Congress to speak on anti-semitism on their campuses.

Student-led Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been taking place at multiple Universities in the US, with encampments being set up on campus grounds.

Protesters are calling on their universities to divest investments supporting Israel, which United Nations experts and humanitarian organisations say is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. 

Videos have shown hundreds of students and faculty members being forcefully arrested, including Columbia University in New York and the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), and students have been threatened with suspension if they do not vacate encampments.

News and Editorial Director, Jessica Hopkins, spoke to Senior Lecturer of Politics and International Relations at the University of Auckland, Dr Maria Armoudian about this.

According to TradeMe figures, rental rates across the motu are at an all time high, rising by an average increase of $50 since last year and bringing the nationwide median rental price up to $650 a week.
Tamaki Makaurau, Auckland, which remains the most expensive region of the country to rent in, has experienced a rent increase of 6.2%, bringing rental rates to $690 a week. 

For their weekly chat, Oto spoke to Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March about the party’s calls to introduce rent controls to combat the increase in rent we’re experiencing here in Aotearoa. 

We also had a chat about the government’s RMA reforms last week and  the recent 1News Verian Poll.

The fast track approvals bill is a planned piece of legislation that aims to cut through existing consent processes for several future works. These developments include bridges, roads, and drilling, which each could infringe on conservation or protected land.

The bill has been met with backlash from members of the public, who up until the 19th of April have been able to make submissions on the bill as it goes through the select committee process. Criticisms and protests against the bill have continued in recent weeks, with many claiming that it undermines democracy and allows members of parliament to circumvent conservation laws or expert advice. 

In our weekly catchup with the National Party’s James Meager, Wire host Castor asked him about the Fast Track Approvals Bill: whether his opinions have changed since the last time I interviewed him, how this bill affects New Zealand’s democracy, and the overall theme of urgency we’ve been seeing with the current government.