Picnic for Peace: Anzac day 2025

Auckland Peace Action invites you to join us for our fourth annual Picnic for Peace, an alternative ANZAC Day commemoration that opposes the glorification of war and calls for a just and lasting peace based on demilitarisation, decolonisation and justice.

We will be meeting on Friday 25th April at 12pm by the Band Rotunda in Pukekawa / the Auckland Domain for music by local musicians Loveray~ and Heart Strings, and hear speeches, including from our inspiring elder Laurie Ross of New Zealand Nuclear-Free Peacemakers.

This is a family friendly community picnic - Bring a picnic mat and kai. We will have a craft area to make white poppies for peace.

On ANZAC Day we take the time to remember that hundreds of thousands of people are killed in wars, not only soldiers. It is also the mass murder of civilians - people of all genders and children are killed in warfare by state governments with paid military Offence/Defence forces.

This is wrong and violates our higher values as human beings.

People are killed with billions of dollars worth of weaponry.

It is wrong to invest and profit from war weaponry.

It is wrong to perpetuate a culture of violent warfare, especially in the 21st century with weapons to destroy Humanity and Life on Earth.

Thus, ANZAC Day is a time to renew our dedication to peace and to Aotearoa New Zealand's status as a Nuclear Free Peacemaking country for Peace in the Pacific.

If you have banners with messages of peace and decolonisation, against war and oppression, you're welcome to bring them to help decorate the Band Rotunda where local band Loveray will be performing.

Please message us if you would like an opportunity to speak, pray, or recite poetry.