Christmas spirit scuttles motorcyclists' protest plans

Santa and the Christmas spirit appeared to give a band of bikers cold feet about disrupting Auckland shopping malls yesterday with accident compensation protests.

A shadowy threat to occupy carparks at up to three malls in protest against proposed ACC levy rises of up to $493 for large motorbikes was lifted just after 6am by a message on the Kiwibiker website saying that the organisers had postponed their plans "in deference to the public."

Veteran motorcyclist David Peppiatt said he was "somewhat annoyed" by the backdown and puzzled that the organisers, who have not identified themselves, had cited central Auckland's Santa Parade among their reasons.

Mr Peppiatt, who posted the postponement message on the website, said the malls targeted were outside the central business district, although there had also been a plan to ride up Queen St after the parade.

The Kiwibiker website has been rife with criticism of the proposed protests, and Mr Peppiatt said he suspected that had "got a lot of people worried they are going to upset the public".

"I keep saying, there's only one way to get this thing moving, and that's to get the public to start yelping," he said.

The action was not condoned by the mainstream Bikers Organisation of New Zealand (Bronz), which organised a 5000-strong "bikoi" protest ride to Parliament, but which is urging protesters "not to target innocent business owners or to undertake actions specifically intended to disrupt the public".

But Auckland branch president Les Mason expects many of his members to attend a public meeting at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club tonight to fire questions at Accident Compensation Minister Nick Smith, who will be guest speaker.

Mr Mason said he also understood a separate protest was being organised outside the yacht club by those concerned about proposed tighter rules for ACC-funded counselling of sexual abuse victims.