Simon Oosterman
Encyclopedia
Simon Oosterman is a New Zealand
political activist, trade unionist, and anarchist. He is best known for coordinating the Unite Union
campaign Supersizemypay.com which targeted the fast food industry and contributed to the abolition of youth rates, a $12 minimum wage (among other results) and the world's first Starbucks strike, and for his involvement in the World Naked Bike Ride
on which he was arrested for indecent exposure.
He currently works as a media liaison
in Auckland
for the National Distribution Union
and the ShelfRespect.org supermarket pay campaign.
and on a farm at Rerewhakaaitu, an area south Drury
. Simon and his siblings, twin brother Paul, older brother John and sister Katy, were put through private school
s by their mother Allison, a journalist
and now lecturer of communications at AUT University in Auckland
. She told Metro magazine that she wanted the best education for them and "remarkably" was able to send them to Kings Prep School (John), Southwell School
(Paul & Simon) and King's College
(John, Paul & Simon) and St Cuthbert's College (Katy) despite being on her own after she and her husband separated when the twins were nine months old.
Oosterman studied for a Bachelor of Arts
in Sociology
and Women's studies
but pulled out of a Masters
in Environmental sociology
to join an anti-war protest (below).
and anti-genetic engineering
activist, and has been involved in climate change
issues. Simon Oosterman is credited with organising the successful 'Supersizemypay.com' campaign for the world's first Starbucks strike, as well as coining the name and designing its website.
Oosterman's first public protest was in 2003 with a week-long sit-in in downtown Auckland outside the US embassy. He, his brother Jon, and other activists were protesting the US actions in Iraq. That same year he was involved in an anti-vivisection protest in Christchurch where he lay in front of a bus carrying scientists. He was arrested but received diversion because this was a first offence.
In February 2005 Oosterman received worldwide attention when he was arrested at the start of the Auckland
World Naked Bike Ride
for refusing to put on underwear. He was covered in thick blue bodypaint at the time. In court he pleaded not guilty to the charge of indecent exposure. To protest this charge, he stripped off in front of the courthouse with three other activists wrapped in a banner reading “STOP indecent exposure to vehicle emissions”. He then ran into the court naked, but put his clothes back on for the plea hearing. The charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence.
On 22 March 2005 he and other protestors publicly complained about police brutality while passively resisting arrest for obstructing a footpath, following a peace demonstration that went inside an ANZ bank. In May 2006 he filed papers at the Auckland district court seeking NZ$50,000 in damages from the New Zealand police after being pepper sprayed at a January 2005 protest against an alleged genetic engineering experiment outside the Forest Research Institute in Rotorua.
On 23 July 2006 Simon Oosterman got on the roof above the footpath at the US Consulate in Auckland, New Zealand and lowered the American Flag to half mast. Oosterman said he lowered the flag to half mast in remembrance of the 300 innocent civilians killed by Israel's attack on Lebanon. When Oosterman came down police attempted to arrest Oosterman with protesters coming to his defence. Simon was "freed" by the crowd but later handed himself into police. Oosterman said that young school girls were pushed and kicked by police, some thrown to the ground. Oosterman was charged with disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence and escaping lawful custody but later won his court case and had the charges dropped.
In July, 2007 Mr Oosterman, who runs a web hosting service for community groups, was forced to remove a Save Happy Valley Coalition spoof annual report of Solid Energy's environmental record which included a logo of the state-owned enterprise for infringement of their copyright and trademark.
On 2 July 2008, Judge Chris McGuire awarded Oosterman $5,000 damages and $25,000 court costs saying police actions had not been reasonable, but rejected Mr Oosterman's claim of assault saying the officer's actions did not quite meet the necessary "high threshold of blameworthiness".
He was involved in a protest in support of Iranian hunger striker Ali Panah at Mt Eden Prison. He, along with six other people, was arrested and was due to appear in court on September 3.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
political activist, trade unionist, and anarchist. He is best known for coordinating the Unite Union
Unite Union
The Unite Union is a trade union in New Zealand. It is the sponsor of the campaign directed towards improving working conditions for fast food workers in the country, in addition to representing other hospitality and retail workers...
campaign Supersizemypay.com which targeted the fast food industry and contributed to the abolition of youth rates, a $12 minimum wage (among other results) and the world's first Starbucks strike, and for his involvement in the World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride is an international clothing-optional bike ride in which participants plan, meet and ride together en masse on human-powered transport , to "deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world."The dress code motto is "Bare as you dare"...
on which he was arrested for indecent exposure.
He currently works as a media liaison
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
for the National Distribution Union
National Distribution Union
The National Distribution Union is a national trade union in New Zealand. It was formed in 1986 as the Northern Distribution Union by the merger of The Northern Drivers Union, The Northern Stores and Warehouse Union, The Auckland and Gisborne Shop Employee Union, and The Northern Butchers and...
and the ShelfRespect.org supermarket pay campaign.
Early years
Oosterman grew up in RamaramaRamarama
Ramarama is a small community at the far south of the Auckland Region in New Zealand's North Island, located just to the north of the Bombay Hills ....
and on a farm at Rerewhakaaitu, an area south Drury
Drury
Drury can refer to several things:*Drury, New Zealand*Drury, Flintshire, UK*Drury University, formerly Drury College, Springfield, Missouri*Drury Hotels operator of Drury Inns*Drury Lane, a famous street in the Westend of London...
. Simon and his siblings, twin brother Paul, older brother John and sister Katy, were put through private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s by their mother Allison, a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and now lecturer of communications at AUT University in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. She told Metro magazine that she wanted the best education for them and "remarkably" was able to send them to Kings Prep School (John), Southwell School
Southwell School
Southwell School is an independent co-educational Anglican preparatory school located in Hamilton, New Zealand. Southwell School caters for the academic, cultural, sporting and spiritual needs of 4 to 13 year olds...
(Paul & Simon) and King's College
King's College, Auckland
King's College is an independent secondary school in New Zealand. It was originally a boys-only school but now also admits girls in the sixth and seventh forms . The school has strong links to the Anglican church; the Anglican Bishop of Auckland, and the Dean of Auckland are permanent members of...
(John, Paul & Simon) and St Cuthbert's College (Katy) despite being on her own after she and her husband separated when the twins were nine months old.
Oosterman studied for a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and Women's studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
but pulled out of a Masters
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Environmental sociology
Environmental sociology
Environmental sociology is typically defined as the sociological study of societal-environmental interactions, although this definition immediately presents the perhaps insolvable problem of separating human cultures from the rest of the environment...
to join an anti-war protest (below).
Activism
He has been a prominent animal rightsAnimal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
and anti-genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
activist, and has been involved in climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
issues. Simon Oosterman is credited with organising the successful 'Supersizemypay.com' campaign for the world's first Starbucks strike, as well as coining the name and designing its website.
Oosterman's first public protest was in 2003 with a week-long sit-in in downtown Auckland outside the US embassy. He, his brother Jon, and other activists were protesting the US actions in Iraq. That same year he was involved in an anti-vivisection protest in Christchurch where he lay in front of a bus carrying scientists. He was arrested but received diversion because this was a first offence.
In February 2005 Oosterman received worldwide attention when he was arrested at the start of the Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride is an international clothing-optional bike ride in which participants plan, meet and ride together en masse on human-powered transport , to "deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world."The dress code motto is "Bare as you dare"...
for refusing to put on underwear. He was covered in thick blue bodypaint at the time. In court he pleaded not guilty to the charge of indecent exposure. To protest this charge, he stripped off in front of the courthouse with three other activists wrapped in a banner reading “STOP indecent exposure to vehicle emissions”. He then ran into the court naked, but put his clothes back on for the plea hearing. The charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence.
On 22 March 2005 he and other protestors publicly complained about police brutality while passively resisting arrest for obstructing a footpath, following a peace demonstration that went inside an ANZ bank. In May 2006 he filed papers at the Auckland district court seeking NZ$50,000 in damages from the New Zealand police after being pepper sprayed at a January 2005 protest against an alleged genetic engineering experiment outside the Forest Research Institute in Rotorua.
On 23 July 2006 Simon Oosterman got on the roof above the footpath at the US Consulate in Auckland, New Zealand and lowered the American Flag to half mast. Oosterman said he lowered the flag to half mast in remembrance of the 300 innocent civilians killed by Israel's attack on Lebanon. When Oosterman came down police attempted to arrest Oosterman with protesters coming to his defence. Simon was "freed" by the crowd but later handed himself into police. Oosterman said that young school girls were pushed and kicked by police, some thrown to the ground. Oosterman was charged with disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence and escaping lawful custody but later won his court case and had the charges dropped.
In July, 2007 Mr Oosterman, who runs a web hosting service for community groups, was forced to remove a Save Happy Valley Coalition spoof annual report of Solid Energy's environmental record which included a logo of the state-owned enterprise for infringement of their copyright and trademark.
On 2 July 2008, Judge Chris McGuire awarded Oosterman $5,000 damages and $25,000 court costs saying police actions had not been reasonable, but rejected Mr Oosterman's claim of assault saying the officer's actions did not quite meet the necessary "high threshold of blameworthiness".
He was involved in a protest in support of Iranian hunger striker Ali Panah at Mt Eden Prison. He, along with six other people, was arrested and was due to appear in court on September 3.