Nobel Peace Prize Nominee David Swanson at 4th Internet Party #AntiSpyBill Event

Two-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee David Swanson to appear at 4th Internet Party #AntiSpyBill Event

Tonight, one of the greatest anti-war activists of all time is joining the panel of the Internet Party’s 4th consecutive #AntiSpyBill event. World renowned author, radio show host, activist and Charlottesville, Virginia resident David Swanson, who is also the Campaign Coordinator for Roots Action, and a Director of World Beyond War, will talk about the importance of taking a stand against war, armaments, nuclear weapons, the fossil fuel industry and other major threats to our peoples and planet.

The event will be held online between 8pm and 11pm today Sunday the 3rd of September, 2017, NZST (UTC+12) and follows on from the Internet Party’s first three #AntiSpyBill events which featured appearances by internet entrepreneur and Internet Party Founder Kim Dotcom, award-winning journalist Barrett Brown, hacktivist Lauri Love, comedian Lee Camp, CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou and US drone program whistleblower Cian Westmoreland.

Internet Party Leader Suzie Dawson will MC the event and says: “We are so honoured to host one of the most prolific and accomplished voices for anti-war activism of our times, David Swanson. David has dedicated his life to speaking out - and acting - against incredibly powerful, yet utterly immoral forces who might be on the right side of their precious corporate profit margins but are on the wrong side of history.”

The Internet Party is inviting the public to join the roundtable event, which as well as discussing contemporary issues of the day, will continue its effort to draft crowdsourced legislation to counter government spying. There are one hundred first-in-first-served tickets for those who register for the #AntiSpyBill webinar that grant direct access to panelists.

The initiative seeks to counter the damage to democratic and human rights inflicted upon New Zealanders by a string of draconian spying laws passed between 2013 and 2016. These laws have retroactively legalised previously illegal targeting of New Zealanders, including warrantless spying and covertly filming them inside their homes, Orwell-style - a practice referred to in law as “domestic visual surveillance”.

Internet Party Leader Suzie Dawson said "New Zealand spies and their international counterparts have engaged in some of the most egregious conduct imaginable. The laws passed under urgency in recent years have only furthered the sense of invulnerability of these spies. They also violate international law. We must show that where our lawmakers fail to do so, the public are willing to step up and address these issues themselves.”

It is possible to participate in the event without registering, as it will be simulcast live on the official Internet Party Facebook page and You Tube channel.

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