Hundreds of "battle hardened" Cantabrians turned out tonight to protest again the Government's proposed schools shake-up.
Around 500 people descended on the Bridge of Remembrance, in eerie half-demolished central Christchurch, to voice concerns over last week's Ministry of Education plans to axe or merge 31 schools.
They are also dismayed at the decision to delay Environment Canterbury (ECan) elections till 2016, and at a believed loss of democracy in the troubled city, organisers of the Suffrage Day protest rally said.
A petition entitled 'Vote Canterbury Kids' circulated through the boisterous placard-waving crowd and attracted more than 600 signatures.
"These communities are not battle weary, rather the last two years has made them battle hardened," Labour MP for Wigram Megan Woods said today.
"They're not going to take these assaults on their communities without a fight."
Parents are protesting, holding public meetings, lobbying MPs and signing petitions over the Government's proposed $1 billion changes to the educational landscape in Christchurch.
There has been widespread panic and confusion over the announcement that 31 schools face closure or merger.
The Ministry of Education backtracked on the afternoon of its announcement; stressing they were only proposals and not firm plans.
Many protesters on a clear evening tonight wore white camellia flowers and waved placards emblazoned with slogans like "Not too shaken to vote" and "Bring back democracy and dignity".
University of Canterbury political science lecturer Bronwyn Hayward, one of the rally organisers, led the rally and said post-quake residents are dismayed that their democratic rights have been taken away from them by government.
She said it was appropriate to hold the protest to restore democracy on Suffrage Day, which has been celebrated in Christchurch since 1893.
"We're launching a campaign to rebuild suffrage in 100 days," she told the gathering.
"We want the Government to step back and reconsider its decision to take democracy away from us.
"We want to rebuild our city, but we want to do it with our own votes."
Tonight's public rally also heard form several pupils whose schools are earmarked for closure or merger.
Blind Shirley Intermediate student Leilu Harrison-Talbot, 12, said she got "really mad" when she heard her school was going to close, so she wrote a letter to Prime Minister John Key in braille.
"I basically said our school is a really, really awesome school, and it's got a good sense of community and that our school was a haven after the earthquakes, so don't shut it."
Students from Branston Intermediate said they cried when they learned of their school's bleak future.
Max Lee, 9, from Burnside Primary got a rousing reception when he said: "I really like my school and I don't want the Government to close it down because I think it's the best school in the whole wide world."
Jocelyn Murray, a teacher at Ouruhia School, said they would fight the closure.
She said the Ministry told them the school had to close since it had nine earthquake damaged buildings, but Mrs Murray told the crowd: "We've only got five classrooms!"
Sandra Spekreijse, of NZEI Te Riu Roa, said the Government has failed to put children first, adding: "You might say, they have fallen well below national standards."
Speeches highlighting the "dismantling of democracy" were also given by Port Hills Labour MP Ruth Dyson, Green Party MP Eugenie Sage, city councillor Glenn Livingstone, and others before a giant petition was rolled out.
The rally ended with white camellias being thrown into the river and a reminder of the next rally, this Saturday at 12pm at Hagley Park netball courts.
* Camellias were worn by Kate Sheppard supporters 119 years ago to signify they were part of the women's suffrage movement.
