Covid 19 Wellington protest: Marae staff pushed, threatened by protesters

A man has been taken away by police after a scuffle broke out outside Wainuiōmata Marae between protesters and locals.

Yesterday, protesters arrived at the Lower Hutt marae - which is also a vaccination centre - and have repeatedly tried to gain access since but have been told they are not welcome.

Kokiri Marae general manager Teresea Olsen said this morning's incident started when a protester tried to park his car on the road, and said that was where it was going to stay.

She said the whānau decided it wasn't going to stay on the road, removed him from the car so they could move it, and then it was "all on from there".

The clean up begins near Parliament after the Wellington protesters were moved out. Photo / Mike Scott

Olsen said police have now taken the car and the man, and hoped it'd be the last they see of him.

"I guess that's what happened at Parliament right, they just took over the streets and I think maybe he decided that's what's going to happen here.

"Not unexpected but disappointing that he thought he could come to the marae and do that."

Olsen said she had nothing against the protesters, but she didn't want them bringing their violence to her community.

"They have a right to believe what they believe and so do we. Don't come and tell us that we don't.

"They want to be respected for what they believe in but so do we. Don't come and try and tell us that we can't vaccinate.

"They are so deluded; their thinking is deluded. I respect everybody's rights, but the majority of stuff they believe is out the gate.

"I guess if nothing else you can say, they're certainly passionate about their cause."

Olsen said they have a vaccination clinic planned for this Sunday, so it will be interesting to see what happens then.

About 40 locals have been fiercely defending the area. Signs read: "No camping. Move on!", "protectors not protesters" and "protesters not welcome. We are protecting our whenua".

Staff say they have been pushed and threatened.

Olsen said earlier, "We are a vaccination centre so we decided we weren't going to let them come on, they weren't welcome - we wouldn't let them cause the anarchy they caused at Parliament."

She says Wainuiōmata community members who gathered at the marae to protect it have been sworn at, threatened and even pushed by a group of protesters seeking shelter.

"At the end of the day, we've said move, you're not welcome here. It's about protecting our community."

Wainuiōmata Marae blockade. Photo / Mike Scott

Olsen says a lot of the community were unimpressed with the protesters' behaviour at Parliament and they don't want a repeat of it.

"The obvious disrespect for mana whenua, for the land, the sea, how they used their children as shields - that's not okay. They need to go home and go back to their whānau and look after their children.

"Go home."

Yesterday, the protesters had reportedly been trying to set up camp in and around the marae but were stopped by locals as a police helicopter circled overhead.

Police have been at the marae this morning. Photo / Nick James

The locals gathered at the marae, blocking its entrance as they put cones and chairs across the driveway.

Last night, Speaker Trevor Mallard weighed in on the resident blockade, saying he had spent some time at the marae on Thursday evening.

"My community is doing a better job of stopping the feral campers than I did," he wrote.

Wainuiōmata Marae was Wellington's first marae-based vaccination clinic.

'Wainui-stylez'

Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry says he's not surprised to see the community band together with a little 'Wainui-stylez' to keep Parliament protesters out.

He says it's frustrating, but not unexpected to see them try and move into the neighbouring Hutt Valley. He says they were prepared for them to turn-up, and the community's responded as expected.

"It's no surprise to me that the community has come and stood alongside the marae.

Locals gather at Wainuiōmata Marae to stop protesters camping there. Photo / Supplied

"This marae was built by the local community, it is a community marae and it is one that has played an incredible role over the last 12 months in vaccinating our people and keeping them safe.

"It's a little bit of 'Wainui-stylez' standing here, shoulder-to-shoulder with the marae, saying this is a place that must be treated with respect."

Barry said it was incredibly disappointing to see the marae disrespected in the way it had been, and a vaccination centre targeted.

"It's completely unacceptable in my view to attempt in any way to block other people from their right to choose to get the vaccination.

"The message from all of us is it is time to go home, it is time to allow us as a community to continue trying to get on with our day-to-day lives.

"It is time for the marae to be allowed to continue its vaccinations, which we know are keeping our community and our people safe from Covid.

"Their pain is their pain, our pain is our pain – we're all dealing with different things, move on and go home."

Barry said they were continuing to keep an eye on other public spaces around the Hutt, to ensure they too don't become a camp site.

Meanwhile Wainuiomata is in a state of stress. Protesters are trying to occupy the marae, shop windows have been broken, campsites set up at the old boxing gym Cherie and I frequented and the Rimataka Forest Park. Police are flying over constantly. Not as bad as Wgn CBD though.

— Dr Fiona M Beals (@FionaBeals) March 3, 2022

"It's really important we're all united in that message that it's time to go.

"We're not Parliament out here in the Hutt, there is no need to be trying to occupy our spaces or places. People have a lot going on in their lives right now, so go home. Just move on, we have had enough."

Police to restore access

Police will begin removing the concrete bolards which blocked vehicle access to the streets near Parliament on Friday.

Access will be restored to the bus depot, Hill and Aitkin streets, but Lower Molesworth Street will remain cordoned off.

They say they are aware of the protesters moving between Mahanga Bay and Wainuiomata, and are monitoring the situation.

There have now been a total of 102 arrests relating to Wednesday's operation.

'Attack on the rule of law'

The four-week long Wellington protest from which protesters were evicted on Thursday was a "direct attack on the rule of law" by "a violent mob", a leading politician says.

Attorney-General David Parker - the government minister responsible for upholding the country's laws - said the protest raises questions about the harmful role social media and overseas influences play in New Zealand's democracy.

"This was a violent mob who occupied the lawn at Parliament, who said unless they got their way they'd hang us," Parker told this morning's AM Show on TV.

"They blocked streets, they disrupted businesses, courts could not operate, children could not go to school.

"Journalists were harassed and threatened and when the policemen did their sworn duty they attacked the police and assaulted them."

Parker's comments come as residents in Lower Hutt last night also moved to stop some protesters relocating from Wellington central into their community.

It comes two days after hundreds of police moved in to remove protesters from out the front of the Parliament building, where they had spent more than 20 days camped on public land.

In images broadcast around the world, protesters hurled bricks at police and started fires that caused damage to Parliament's lawn.

Parker called the incident "a direct attack on the rule of law".

He said more work needed to be done to investigate the role played by social media and overseas influences in leading people "down rabbit holes".

"Some of those people out there were misguided, others were deluded thinking that the Government was sending radiation at them that they would protect themselves from with foil hats," he said.

"Social media is one of the underlying reasons for that."

'People are looking for answers'

Police Minister Poto Williams sounded a more reconciliatory note.

She said police did an "extraordinary job" controlling the Wellington protest.

She said the protest had been disrespectful and that some of the protesters are getting their information from questionable sources.

But the next important step was to continue to engage with them as she described many of those involved in the protest as a marginalised part of the community.

"People are looking for answers to some of the big questions," she told the AM Show.

She said police had been clear that they "really wanted a peaceful resolution" to the protest.

However, Williams said police needed to step in and intervene two days ago because it had become clear protesters were getting increasingly violent and that needed to be stopped immediately.

She said Police were doing a lot of visible controls around the Wellington region in a bid to show the community that they would be putting a stop on any further protest activity should it pop up.

100 arrests

Earlier, Assistant Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said a total of 100 people had been arrested in relation to the Parliament protest's violent end this week, with charges including arson, rioting and inciting violence.

An additional 11 people had been arrested on Thursday, with a total of nine people charged with inciting violence and 78 with trespass or obstruction.

A significant investigation is underway into tracking down those who committed unlawful acts, with police viewing hours and hours of livestream footage.

"The hard work continues. The investigation phase will last for as long as it needs to hold people accountable," Chambers said.

Police said they had established a crime scene around Parliament grounds and the surrounding area.

Police made several arrests at Wellington Railway Station on Thursday morning. Photo / Mike Scott

Forensic investigations are also underway to determine those responsible for the alleged setting fire to tents.

Police added they would also check for hazards before the area could reopen to the public.

Protest spokesman Leighton Baker was pepper-sprayed and arrested on Wednesday during the standoff with police. He was charged with obstruction and spent Wednesday night in custody.

The protesters were "mainly peaceful" he said and police were not justified in using pepper spray and, he claimed, batons.

"I got smacked in the side of the head with something," Baker told Newstalk ZB's Andrew Dickens. "I just didn't think that would happen in New Zealand."

Asked if police had used excessive force, Chambers said the response was necessary and proportionate to the actions they were facing. He confirmed that sponge bullets were fired at protesters.

The eight injured police officers admitted to hospital on Wednesday had all been discharged. Their injuries ranged from bumps and bruises to bone fractures and head injuries.

The clean up begins near Parliament after the Wellington protesters were moved out. Photo / Mike Scott

Chambers thanked Wellington Free Ambulance for their support during the violent clashes.

Earlier, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday's violence on Parliament grounds was a sight she never expected to see and the area was now something akin to a "rubbish dump".

The grounds would be restored as quickly as possible and being able to return and enjoy the area would be quite symbolic for the public, she said.

In total, 600 police staff were involved and 50 firefighters. However, 40 police officers were injured, including the eight admitted to hospital.