I/we call on Victoria University to lift the trespass notices on Heleyni Pratley and Joel Cosgrove.   Signatories:

(Organisation/title/institution for identification purposes only)

Peter Conway             Secretary Council of Trade Unions New Zealand

Tim Shadbolt               Mayor, Invercargill

John Minto       Anti-Apartheid campaigner, unionist; political columnist

Gaylene Preston         Filmmaker (Mr Wrong, Ruby and Rata, Bread & Roses)

Geoff Murphy   Filmmaker (Goodbye Porkpie, Young Guns II, Quiet Earth, Freejack, Lord of the Rings – 2nd Unit Director)

Vincent O’Sullivan       Poet, novelist; emeritus professor, Victoria University

Nicky Hager      Author, investigative journalist

Rod Prosser   Film-maker, Wellington

Unions Auckland Local Affiliate Council

Matt McCarten General Secretary, Unite trade union; political columnist 

Mike Treen      National Director, Unite trade union 

Gerard Hehir   President, Unite trade union

Dennis Maga   Migrante Aotearoa National Coordinator

Toby Burrows Director, Rhythm and Vines Music Festival

Dean Parker    Playwright and scriptwriter; member, Writers Guild, Auckland

Cllr Rik Tindall   Environment Canterbury (ECAN) elected regional councillor (ChCh East)

Dr John Freeman-Moir   Dean of Education, Canterbury University

Dr Elizabeth Rata    Professor, Education, University of Auckland

Dr Russell Campbell Associate professor, English, Film, Theatre and Media Studies, Victoria University; film-maker, Vanguard Films

Prof Jack Heineman    School of Biological Sciences, Canterbury University

Paul Piesse     President, Alliance Party

Tom Dowie     General Secretary, Alliance Party

Prof Mark Lause          History, University of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Dr Mark Hayes            Senior lecturer, Faculty of Media, Arts and Society, Southampton University, Britain

Daniel Randall             National Union of Students Trustee Board, Britain

Robert Tobias    Co-editor, New Zealand Journal of Adult Learning

Syd Keepa     National Distribution Union organiser, Convenor Rununga Council Trade Unions

Terry Tuiletifuga     National Distribution Union organiser, NDU Convenor Komiti Pacifica

Mark Muller     National Distribution Union organiser

Dr David Small   Senior lecturer, College of Education, Canterbury University

Dr Megan Clayton    President, Canterbury University branch, Tertiary Education Union

Matt Jones   Wellington regional organiser, Unite trade union

Dr Michael Goldsmith Associate professor, Anthropology, Waikato University

Dr Rick Kuhn   Reader in Political Science, Australian National University, Canberra

Tom O’Lincoln   Labour historian, Melbourne, Australia

Dr Tony Schirato         Associate Professor, Media Studies, Victoria University

Dr Rose Lovell-Smith   Senior lecturer, Dept of English, Auckland University

Dr Brian Roper    Senior lecturer, Dept of Politics, Otago University

Dr Thierry Jutel    Senior lecturer, Programme director, Media Studies, Victoria University

Dr Diane Fieldes   Australian School of Business, University of New South Wales

Dr Bryce Edwards   Lecturer, Dept of Politics, Otago University; Liberation blog

Warren Brewer   Co-ordinator, Canterbury Regional Council of the Alliance Party

Don Franks   Cleaner; author, Next to Gods: a cleaner’s tale

Joel Cosgrove   President, Victoria University Students Association, 2008

Heleyni Pratley   Artist, Wellington

Murray Horton   Secretary/organiser, Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa

Dr Joe Zuccarello    Senior lecturer, Biology, Victoria University

Dr Kate McMillan   Senior lecturer, Political Science & International Relations, Victoria University

Dr Ben Thirkell-White Senior lecturer, Political Science & International Relations, Victoria University

Dr Chris Brickell   Senior lecturer, Gender Studies, Otago University

Dr Kate Hunter                        Senior lecturer, History, Victoria University

Dr Simone Gigliotti    Senior lecturer, History, Victoria University

Dr Marla Hughes    School of the Humanities, Canterbury University

Dr Philip Ferguson    Bridging Programmes, Canterbury University

Dr Maxine Campbell Lecturer, convenor, Social Policy, Waikato University

Dr Anita Brady    Lecturer, Media Studies, Victoria University

Dr Minette Hillyer    Lecturer, Media Studies, Victoria University

Hannah Webling    Programme administrator, Classics, Victoria

Dr Alexander Maxwell     Lecturer, History, Victoria University

Dr Fiona Barker     Lecturer, Political Science & International Relations, Victoria University

Dr Robbie Shilliam    Lecturer, Political Science & International Relations, Victoria University

Dr Xavier Marquez Lecturer, Political Science & International Relations, Victoria University

Dr Kate Shick     Lecturer, Political Science & International Relations, Victoria University

Dr Cei Maslen    Lecturer, Philosophy, Victoria University 

Dr Jonathan W. Marshall    Lecturer, Theatre & Performing Arts Studies, University of Otago

Grace Millar Member, branch committee, Tertiary Education Union, Victoria University

Sue Ong          Administrator,     NZ Contemporary China Research Centre, Victoria University

Esme Ridgeway         Dept Manager,     Dept of Public Health, University of Otago (Wellington)

Jason Young   Course co-ordinator, Pols 203, Victoria University

Meredith Wyatt                        Professional Practice fellow, College of Education, University of Otago

Rachel Smith  Professional Practice fellow, Dept of Radiation Therapy, University of Otago (Wellington)

Shane Montague Gallager      Help Desk Advisor, ITS, and member, branch committee, Tertiary Education Union, Otago University 

Julia Baga       Asst librarian, School of Architecture and Design library, Victoria University

Amelia Gill       PhD student, Depts of Psychology and Children’s Health, Otago University

Daphna Whitmore      Secretary Workers Party New Zealand

Helen Te Hira (Iwi Have Influence) Action Group

Annalucia Vermunt on behalf of the Communist League in New Zealand

Rather than allow them to present the petition, the university authorities placed the administration building under lockdown, put security personnel out front and called the police, who arrived in force with long batons and arrested Pratley and Cosgrove.

The two activists have been released on bail but the conditions include not only not stepping foot on Victoria University property but also not associating with each other, despite the fact that they are in a relationship and have been for four years.

“Will the police be raiding us in the middle of the night to see if we are still sleeping together?” asked Pratley.  “The behaviour of vice-chancellor Pat Walsh and chancellor Tim Beaglehole call into question how fit they are to run a university.  I’ve already had men sent by them try to force their way into my home and then announce I was trespassed from the university because I succeeded in keeping them out,” says Pratley.  “Walsh and Beaglehole seem to think they’re running a personal feudal fiefdom rather than a public institution which is supposed to champion critical thinking and freedom of expression.”

“We’ll be stepping up the campaign against the completely over-the-top actions of the administration at Victoria; we’re calling on students, trade unionists, civil libertarians and all supporters of free speech and freedom of association to join us in demanding the charges be dropped and the trespass order be revoked,” Cosgrove concluded.