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Asian and Pacific community leaders plan a post-election "mega-demonstration" to press for tougher laws and action against crime in support of a dairy owner they say should not have been charged for defending himself.
Yesterday, about 100 protesters waved banners proclaiming "Self-defence is not a crime" and similar sentiments outside Manukau District Court as Virender Singh was inside facing two charges of injuring with intent to injure.
His appearance followed a brawl involving drunken youths outside his Otara liquor store in September when he claimed he was forced to defend himself after an attempted robbery.
Supporters said Singh was totally justified in his actions and his lawyer, Sanjay Sharma, told the court his client would defend the charges.
Singh was remanded on bail for a pre-depositions hearing on December 3.
Manohar Singh, who operates a dairy in Otahuhu, said prosecuting Virender Singh was crazy and would further endanger the lives of other dairy owners.
"The message they are sending to the criminals is that it's okay to rob, because dairy workers are not allowed to defend themselves. I have been robbed more than 20 times, with double-barrel guns, knives, shotgun, machete ... It's just a matter of time I'd end up dead like Navtej if I have to worry about being charged when I defend myself."
Navtej Singh was killed when his liquor store was robbed in June.
Another dairy owner, Joga Singh, said he had been robbed about 60 times in the 15 years he had been running his business.
"When I catch the robbers, the court just lets them out again and they come back to rob me," he said. "I have another ongoing case, but while I am wasting my time and lost opportunity on earning my money, the robber has all his legal fees being paid by the taxpayer."
After yesterday's protest, about 10 leaders representing the Indian, Chinese, Korean and Samoan communities met Asian Anti-crime Group chairman Peter Low to discuss a post-election multi-communities demonstration.
In a march in July organised by the anti-crime group, an estimated 15,000 mainly Chinese protested against violent crime after the killing of three Asians - mugging victim Joanne Wang, 80-year-old grandmother Yan Ping Yang and Navtej Singh.
"After the last march, politicians isolated me and the Government arrogantly ignored the message of the fed-up Chinese community," Mr Low said. "The next protest will happen only after the election, because we want to pressure the new Government to keep its promises and not just hear empty pre-election promises."
The general secretary of the NZ Indian Central Association, Veer Khar, said it was possible more than 20,000 would attend the next demonstration.
Former Act MP Kenneth Wang, who also attended the meetings, said: "Self-defence is a basic human right ... The problem we have in NZ is the law and the Government, which has created conditions where violent offenders are protected by the law but victims are left to fend for themselves."
