A Night for Palestine
Produced by OVERTONE EVENTS x WPSG
Join us for an incredible evening of live music and solidarity in support of two vital Palestinian relief organisations.
Many of us are at a loss as to what we can say or do to make a tangible difference to the Palestinian people impacted by the ongoing genocide in Gaza. That’s why we wanted to create A Night for Palestine - a way for our community to come together in solidarity and enjoy some amazing local music, all while making a real difference.
With your generosity, we’re hoping to raise an ambitious $10,000! All donations will be split between our two chosen charities: The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
We are offering tickets for A Night for Palestine on a sliding scale, starting from $25, with the option to add an extra donation if you wish. Or you can simply donate without buying a ticket.
Featuring performances by: Shady Lady, Naram, Castlecliff Lights, Space Trash, and Alphabethead.
Whanganui X Aotearoa for Sanctions
On Thursday 30 October, we joined Aotearoa for Sanctions with 12 other regions, from Kerikeri to Invercargill, standing outside MP offices in towns and cities across Aotearoa. Everywhere we were we carried the same message: CUT THE TIES. End complicity. Sanction Israel now.
Here in Whanganui, we took part in a 24-hour vigil held outside Whanganui MP Carl Bates’ office demanding sanctions on Israel. We shared kai, shared stories, chanted, waved flags, held banners, drank tea and coffee, and, as evening fell we held a candlelit vigil and sang karakia. We hunkered down for the night outside Carl Bates’ office and resumed our action in the early morning, kicking things off with a resistance music dance party. We didn’t engage with any staff members during out time there, but made sure to call and leave a letter under the door to let the office know of our peaceful protest, how long it would last, and that we appreciate the mahi they do.
We had an incredible bunch of humans involved, from a wide range of faiths, backgrounds, ages and political ideologies. One thing that unites us? Our collective understanding of our shared humanity. It’s pretty simple really.
We demand that our government upholds our international legal obligations as signatories to the Genocide Convention, and places santions on an illegally occupying, genocidal, apartheid state. #sanctionisraelnow #cuttheties
WPSG’s 100th solidarity rally
On Saturday, 20th September, Whanganui Palestinian Solidarity Group (WPSG) will be holding its 100th Rally.
We invite you to bring your flags, your signs, your voices to urge our government to uphold its international legal obligations and impose sanctions.
Please note, as with every one of our rallies or events, we do not tolerate any of the following: (i.e. you will be asked to leave): racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, violence, bigotry, sexism, transphobia, or homophobia.
March for Humanity
Saturday 13 September
Gaza cannot wait. Sanctions now! Join us on Saturday 13th of September at Aotea Square to add your voice in putting pressure on our government to act.
We demand the New Zealand government take meaningful action for the people of Palestine now.
“The genocide in Gaza is undeniable. Forced starvation is being used as a weapon of war, alongside mass killing, and the destruction of Gaza’s health system. New Zealand has a moral and legal obligation to act, and must sanction Israel now” — Nadine Mortaja, Palestinian New Zealand and March Māngai/Spokesperson.
“The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a site of great significance to the Māori sovereignty movement. It has carried generations of Indigenous struggle across the Waitematā Harbour, from The Land March led by Whina Cooper in 1975, to the Foreshore and Seabed Hīkoi in 2004, to last year’s hīkoi when Palestinians stood with us in unwavering support, recognising the inseparability of our resistance against colonialism.” — Arama Rata, Ngāruahine-Taranaki-Ngāti Maniapoto and March Māngai/Spokesperson
Saturday 13th September
Marching from 9.30am
Aotea Square, ending at Victoria Park.
National Poetry Day - Poetry Reading for Palestine
12.30-1.30PM
Friday 22 August
Lockett Gallery, Guyton Street
On NZ National Poetry Day, Whanganui poets and peace activists read poems by Palestinian writers and New Zealand poetry about Palestine, in collaboration with Lockett Gallery.
All welcome; this event is free to attend. Donations to the cause are welcome.
Event image by local Whanganui artist Patrick Baker.
Women Who Lead: Celebrating Community | Sharing Knowledge
Women Who Lead is a partner initiative brought to you by the good folk at the Women's Network Whanganui and Sport Whanganui, with venue host support from the team at Barracks Sports Bar.
19 August 2025
5.30 PM
Barracks Sports Bar.
Women Who Lead talks to Sophi Reinholt, a photographer, graphic designer, parent, and activist who grew up in Jordan, Syria, and the Occupied West Bank, where her family worked and volunteered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
A third-generation advocate for Palestinian liberation and equal rights, Sophi now helps run the Whanganui Palestinian Solidarity Group, working to educate, campaign, and empower people to take small but meaningful action in solidarity with Palestinians.
Screening of
“The Doctor’s Wife”
6.30 PM
Satuday AUGUST 16th 2025
Pride Whanganui
64 St Hill Street, Whanganui
FREE ENTRY
“When you’re a heart surgeon, that’s what you do…
If you are his wife, you tag along and find something useful to do.”
After retiring from a distinguished career as a cardiac surgeon in New Zealand, Dr Alan Kerr led a Kiwi team to Gaza and the West Bank to operate on children with heart disease. What started as a two week visit became an enduring 20 year commitment to Palestine, involving 40 medical missions to Gaza and the West bank and hundreds of operations.
Dr Kerr recognised the need for, and was instrumental in the establishment of, an independent Palestinian cardiac unit. He trained the first Palestinian paediatric cardiac surgeon and has been recognised as the ‘Father of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery' in Palestine. However, he couldn't have achieved this on his own. His wife, Hazel Kerr, travelled with him - bringing a different kind of healing to the people she met in Palestine.
Screening of
“The Wanted 18”
Friday 15th August 2025
6.30 PM
Pride Whanganui, 64 St Hill Street
FREE ENTRY
In collaboration with Justice for Palestine, WPSG presents a screening of “The Wanted 18”.
“The Wanted 18” is a 2014 Palestinian-Canadian animated documentary about the efforts of Palestinians in Beit Sahour to start a small local dairy industry during the First Intifada, hiding a herd of 18 dairy cows from Israeli security forces when the dairy collective was deemed a threat to Israel's national security.
The film combines documentary interviews with those involved in the events, archival footage, drawings, black-and-white stop-motion animation as well as re-enactments, and was co-directed by Canadian filmmaker Paul Cowan and Palestinian visual artist and director Amer Shomali.
Koha received will be donated to MAP - Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Nakba Day 2025 -
Flowers for Palestine Exhibition
This Nakba Day truly gave weight to the expression that “the Nakba never ended” with the ongoing genocide in Gaza at the hands of Israel only escalating. We were happy to present portions of a display from the Palestine Museum in Ramallah, the 7 months-long community embroidery project piece created by the Flowers for Palestine - Putiputi mō Parihitini group, works by local Whanganui artist Patrick Baker, and a project called “Know Their Names” after the early 2024 Al-Jazeera list of children killed in the genocide, consisting of children aged 0 - 17 years of age.
The writing of names portion of the exhibition allowed the public a tangible means of grasping the sheer scale of children killed by the Israeli state, let alone the women and men and thousands upon thousands unaccounted for under the rubble. Many were deeply moved. One writer who attended the exhibition went away and wrote a 5 page poem about the name-writing portion of the exhibition and their reflections on it.
We also collected signatures for our open letter to support the Illegal Occupation of Palestine Sanctions Bill, which you can sign here.
Captured during installation of the Flowers for Palestine exhibition
Book Launch
“If I Must Die”
with author Dr Yousef Aljamal
JUNE 19th 2025
We were privileged to host back-to-back events on Thursday 19th June with visiting writer and journalist Dr Yousef Aljamal as part of his PSNA National Tour of Aotearoa.
The first event was a book launch of his latest work, “If I must Die” - an anthology of the works of the recently killed Palestinian writer and academic, Dr Refaat Alareer.
The event was held at Paige’s Book Gallery.
Public Lecture with Dr Yousef Aljamal
JUNE 19th 2025
Directly after the book launch at Paige’s Book Gallery, there was a public lecture held at the Davis Lecture Theatre - a short walk from Paige’s Book Gallery.
Dr Aljamal recounted his experiences living in Gaza and under apartheid military siege, and courageously described the plight of his own family in Gaza under genocide.
Dr Mazin Qumsayeh
(Nobel Peace Prize Nominee 2024)
Public Lecture
“Water, Nature and Environment: Insights from a Palestinian Environmentalist”
Organised with the
Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa
25 May 2024
WEEKLY SATURDAY RALLY
Every Saturday 11am - 12pm
Outside of the Tram Shed,
Taupō Quay, Whanganui
We have solidarity merch, petitions to sign,
letter templates to MPs,
information on the BDS movement,
signs to hold, flags to wave.
We do not tolerate any of the following at our rallies or events (i.e. you will be asked to leave):
Racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, violence, bigotry, sexism, transphobia, or homophobia.