A Chinese political lobby group will never be able to peddle
its message in the Auckland santa parade, say parade
organisers.
The Falun Dafa group is planning to ask the High Court for a
judicial review after the Auckland Children's Christmas
Parade Trust turned down its application to be in the
November 30 parade.
The group apparently wanted to highlight its persecution in
China.
Trust chairman Michael Barnett, who is also Auckland Chamber
of Commerce chief executive, said as a private organisation
he did not believe the trust would be bound by a High Court
ruling.
"I think this is a publicity stunt.
"I can't imagine any judicial review would call on us to do
anything different from what we have done."
He said he had spoken to the Human Rights Commission which
was satisfied with the processes the trust had used in the
past.
He said the group tried to participate in events around the
world to promote the fact that they were persecuted in China.
"All I have said is you are not going to use the Santa Parade
in Auckland to promote that," Mr Barnett said.
"It is a children's Christmas parade. It is about fun and
fantasy and family stuff. It is not about some Chinese group
trying to promote the fact that they believe they are
persecuted back in China."
This year Wellington City Council allowed the group to
participate in its Christmas parade as a gesture of goodwill
but permission came with a strict instruction not to protest.
Mr Barnett said this year's 75th Auckland Santa Parade would
be one of the biggest in the history of the event and
organisers 300,000 to 400,000 people would line the streets
of inner city Auckland.
Two helium balloons made up as Dr Seuss characters had been
brought from New York for the parade, he said.
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