The statue, which features prominently in the city’s Aotea Square, was defaced with a swastika on the chest and the words ‘free Palestine’ on its plinth. When the Herald attended there were hundreds gathered in the square.
The statue of former Auckland Mayor Sir Dove-Myer Robinson in Aotea Square.
Police have charged a 30-year-old man over assault but said it was not politically motivated and the man had been subject to mental health supervision.
Police arrested a total of three people at the demonstration.
A spokeswoman for Auckland Council said it cleaned the Sir Dove-Myer statue early Monday morning and urged people to report other incidents of graffiti.
“We are very fortunate in Tāmaki Makaurau to have a wonderful public art collection that is enjoyed by Aucklanders and visitors alike. The council works hard to protect these,” the spokeswoman said.
A police spokesman, meanwhile, said police were “not aware of this alleged act of vandalism in Aotea Square”. He asked anyone with information to report it to police.
Boy hit on head with shovel stable in hospital
Acting Superintendent Sunny Patel says the man accused of hitting a boy with a shovel appeared in Auckland District Court today.
He was facing charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm with a weapon and injuring with intent to injure/reckless disregard with a weapon.
A large group rallied for a ceasefire in Gaza in Aotea Square on Sunday. Photo / Alex Burton
The assault occurred behind the Auckland Town Hall as crowds dispersed following demonstrations at Aotea Square, police said.
The victim, a young boy, remains in a stable condition in Starship Hospital and support is being provided to them and their family.
“No prior reports or concerns were made to police about the man prior to this incident occurring,” Patel said.
Earlier, a a protester told the Herald he helped stop the man as he swung a shovel at the child’s head and feared the boy could be killed.
Three arrests were made at the protest, attended by “a few thousand”, but police said demonstrations were “mainly peaceful”. Photo / Alex Burton
Julian Bravery was walking behind the schoolboy and his family at Aotea Square when he “heard a thud” and saw the child fall to the ground yesterday.
He watched in disbelief as the man stood over the boy and brought the shovel down on him again.
Police arrested the man with the shovel, who had been receiving support from mental health services before the attack.
Three arrests were made at the protest, attended by “a few thousand”, but police said demonstrations were “mainly peaceful”.
Bravery, recalling the attack on the boy, told the Herald: “I heard a thud and I saw this child go down and this guy standing over him, he raised the shovel again and hit him on the head when the kid was down.
“After the second blow he raised the shovel up again and I thought there couldn’t be a third one so I just rushed him and grabbed the shovel.”
An assault happened behind the Auckland Town Hall as crowds dispersed following demonstrations at Aotea Square. Photo / Alex Burton
What followed was a frantic scuffle with Bravery trying to subdue a larger man all while trying to stop him from swinging the shovel.
“I was stunned for a moment. My only regret was not moving fast enough to stop that second blow. If I had seen him coming toward him I would have stopped him.
“He was shirtless and he looked like a heavyweight boxer, he was a machine.”
A family friend of the child, Mohamed Soliman, told RNZ he had been at Starship Hospital, where the boy was taken with serious injuries.
“The family is in shock, of course. Imagine waking up in the morning just like we’re going to the protest for our brothers and sisters in Gaza, and then something happens to your own son.
“Of course, that’s something that you wouldn’t expect, especially in New Zealand.”
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
