Restore Passenger Rail protesters have blocked Glenmore Street in Karori, Wellington. Video / Azaria Howell.
A protest and counter-protest between Speak Up For Women and the Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition took over the grounds of Parliament in Wellington this afternoon.
The protest was organised by Speak Up For Women, but called Turn Up for Women, and encouraged people to attend Parliament between 12,30pm and 1.30pm.
Counter-protesters from the Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition showed up around 12pm carrying banners and playing music. At its height, the protest had around 50 attendees and 200 counter-protesters.
The two groups were separated by barricades on the forecourt but shouted at each other through megaphones.
Both sides had speakers and at one point, a 17-year-old speaking with the Speak Up For Women protesters through their loudspeaker initially spoke about she had faced discrimination as a woman, which drew strong support and cheers from the crowd.
Eliana Rubashkyn, renowned for allegedly throwing juice on Posie Parker, told the Herald she was attending today’s counter protest at Parliament to “feel the love” and because she “hasn’t been able to be with my community because I don’t want to endanger them”.
“[The protesters] over here are challenging my existence,” she said.
Rubashkyn - identifying herself as a Ukrainian-Colombian intersex transgender woman - said there had been attempts on her life following the incident with Parker.
Eli Rubashkyn, who is charged with juicing Posie Parker in Auckland, was among counter-protesters at Parliament. Photo / Azaria Howell
She wouldn’t give any further details as police were investigating. She would also be appearing at the Auckland District Court in July in relation to the Parker incident. As such, she did not comment further on the matter.
On her experience since the Parker incident, Rubashkyn said it had been “the hardest month of my life in [New Zealand]” because of the abuse she’d faced, including many death threats on social media.
She said she was in Wellington because it was “where I feel the safest”.
Her mental health had not been good recently, she said, acknowledging that she was now out of work due to the court action.
Speak Up For Women is a self-proclaimed women’s rights group which originally opposed changes to legislation that allowed people to self-identify their sex on their birth certificate without going to the Family Court.
They now focus on matters such as transgender people in sports and single-sex bathrooms.
Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition organiser Tristan Cordelia said the counter-protest was to be comprised of cis and trans women standing together in solidarity.
“Transphobes often try to pit feminists and transgender activists against each other, but we know that those struggles are interlinked. We’re showing up today as trans women and cis women, hand in hand in support of each other.”
It comes six weeks after British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Posie Parker, canned a planned speech about women’s rights in Auckland’s Albert Park after scuffles broke out.
She was doused in a bottle of tomato juice and had to be rushed from the park by security and her supporters, later receiving a police escort.
British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker is escorted from Albert Park. Photo / Dean Purcell
Parker had been planning a second rally in Wellington the following day but left the country after the chaotic counter-protest, which saw thousands of people pack into Albert Park.
Instead, a counter-protest was held in Wellington and thousands of people packed into the Civic Square to support trans people.
About a thousand people gathered in Wellington's Civic Centre to demonstrate for trans rights. Photo / Vita Molyneux
Restore Passenger Rail protesters arrested
This afternoon’s protest comes hours after three Restore Passenger Rail protesters were taken into police custody for blocking rush-hour traffic in Wellington’s Karori.
Police say charges are being considered for the group, who sat across a pedestrian crossing on Glenmore St, causing traffic to back up along the road.
Buses were blocked in both directions - however, one bus filled with schoolchildren managed to edge past the protest.
Commuters decide to walk after Restore Passenger Rail protesters blocked Glenmore Street in Karori. Photo / Azaria Howell
Members of the public could be heard swearing at the protesters, calling their actions “counter-productive” as cars edged past them on the footpath.
One man who was a passenger on a blocked bus told the protesters they were blocking his way to go and visit his daughter in the hospital, who was receiving chemotherapy.
“You may have time and the money to be able to do this protest and stop a whole lot of other people in a completely undemocratic way, but I need to get somewhere,” he was heard telling the protesters.
A school bus tried to edge past Restore Passenger Rail protesters on Glenmore Street, Karori. Photo / Azaria Howell
Police arrived shortly after the protest began, and unglued several of the protesters from the road before telling them they were under arrest for endangering transport.
The group disrupted traffic all throughout April and is showing few signs of slowing down despite several arrests for endangering traffic and breaching bail.
The protests are so frequent, Wellington police now have a rapid response unit on standby weekday mornings to respond as quickly as possible.
A Restore Passenger Rail protester is dragged away by police after blocking Glenmore Street in Karori. Photo / Azaria Howell
On Monday protesters sat across The Terrace holding a banner - drawing strong criticism from members of the public who were heard to yell and swear at them.
