Police examine footage after protest turned violent

Newstalk ZB

22 May, 2015 08:15 PM2 mins to read

Violence has erupted in a noisy demonstration outside SkyCity in Auckland, just as the Prime Minister arrives for his seventh post-budget speech. Gia Garrick reports it's a stand-off, with protestors and police shoulder to shoulder and demonstrators shouting right into their faces. "Protestors have run at police who are lining the entrances to SkyCity. They're still chanting in to megaphones, but running at the police. It's become quite rowdy down here."

Police are going through video footage of protesters at Auckland's Convention Centre after peaceful chanting turned aggressive.

The protest took place a day after the government announced measures to address child poverty in what was one of the centrepieces of the 2015 budget.

A $790 million increase in benefits to families with children and a boost to Working for Families entitlements over four years for those on very low incomes was announced. It was the first time beneficiaries were given an increase outside of inflation since 1972.

However, it came at a cost. Solo parents and partners of beneficiaries have to be available for part-time work from when their youngest child is three-years-old, rather than five.

Members of the Auckland Action Against Poverty group were upset with the package, labelling it a band-aid fix to a bigger issue.

Police and security staff received minor scratches to the face and arms as protesters aggressively tried to gain access to the building where the Prime Minister was holding his post-Budget speech.

Inside, Key said they had little to protest about.

"Sometimes they can protest and you might be able to see some rationale behind it.

"But if they're protesting about child poverty when we're the first government to raise benefits in 43 years, you just sort of start saying they're protesting for the sake of it."

Television personality Paul Henry also came under fire from protesters as police were called in to block protesters from the entrance to the convention centre, where Prime Minister John Key was giving a post-Budget speech.

One person was arrested at the scene.