Iwi members perform a haka as anti-mandate protester leave Okahu Bay beach. Photo / Supplied
Iwi members perform a haka as anti-mandate protester leave Okahu Bay beach. Photo / Supplied
An anti-mandate protester caught on camera disparaging an iwi after a stand-off at an Auckland beach denies being racist, telling the Herald she is human, makes mistakes and has a "dark dad".
The woman contacted the Herald today following publication of a video taken on Saturday at Ōrākei's Ōkahu Bay beach in which she describes Ngāti Whātua as "a violent kind of iwi".
In another video, a fellow protester laughed as iwi members opposed to the protest's anti-vaccine sentiment performed a haka, labelling them "embarrassing".
In an interview this afternoon, the woman said she now regrets labelling the iwi violent.
"I wish I hadn't said that. I'm human and humans make mistakes."
She refused to give her name, occupation or age, or confirm her vaccination status, but told the Herald she had lost her job due to the vaccine mandates.
She described Saturday night's beach protest as a "vigil" to commemorate people hurt in the violent anti-vaccine mandate riot on Parliament grounds in Wellington last week.
Pushed on whether that included police officers who were hospitalised when protesters burnt tents and hurled paving stones and bricks at officers, the woman said "both".
A man hurling a brick at police during the anti-mandate riot at Parliament grounds. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The videos, uploaded to Facebook, show protesters at Ōkahu Bay arguing with a Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust official who asks them to take their anti-mandate rally elsewhere.
The woman remonstrates with the official, saying, "the view you guys have of us is not what we are - it's very sad".
She told the Herald her group tried to seek permission from the iwi to stage their vigil but no one answered the phone.
When the protesters were asked to leave on Saturday evening, they were making their way off the beach when a group of iwi members arrived, some carrying taiaha and golf clubs, she said.
She claimed she and other protesters felt intimidated by the group, who were allegedly aggressive, calling the protesters "Nazis" and saying "stuff about us being white".
"We never wanted there to be any trouble."
Iwi members perform a haka as anti-mandate protester leave Okahu Bay beach. Photo / Supplied
The video shows the woman saying, "As you can see, the iwi don't want us. So we're going to go to Mission Bay."
She then approaches a Pakeha woman and says, "They're a violent kind of iwi".
Asked by the Herald whether she was racist, the woman replied: "I don't know how somebody who is of an ethnicity that's not just European or white is a racist. I have a dark dad."
She claimed her group had complained to police and Auckland Council about the incident but refused to provide a police file number for the Herald to verify the claim.
A police spokesman said he could find no report to police about the incident, other than one about the protesters gathering at Mission Bay later that night.
The woman made various other claims about risks associated with the vaccine but refused to provide evidence to support her claims or allow them to be independently verified by the Herald.
When pushed for more details, she said: "I'm not answering any more questions."
An iwi spokeswoman declined to comment on the videos or the woman's allegations about intimidation, instead directing the Herald to a statement issued on Saturday on social media.
"The Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust has been notified of a gathering intended to take place at Ōkahu Bay this evening. This gathering is being led and encouraged by externals," the statement said.
"Permission from external organisers was not sought, nor has the Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust granted permission for any such gathering within our papa kāinga to take place. The Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Kaitiaki team have also been informed and will be on alert this evening."
The statement said trust chairwoman Marama Royal "encourages all those who genuinely care for our communities, to do all they can to prevent the further spread of Covid-19".
An occupation at Auckland Domain packed up and left on Friday after being served a trespass notice by Auckland Council. Photo / Michael Craig
The incident comes less than a week after violent anti-mandate protesters clashed with police in Wellington after officers moved to clear the unlawful occupation.
About 100 people were arrested, some charged with rioting and inciting violence. Police have called for video footage of the rampage to help identify those criminally responsible.
After the protesters were forced off Parliament grounds, a group tried to occupy a Wainuiomata marae, but were repelled by locals who said they did not want to be associated with the protesters' anti-vaccine messages or violent tactics.
And a small protest camp at Auckland Domain packed up on Friday after being served with trespass notices by Auckland Council.
