Tractors, utes and family cars all turned up for Mother of all protests in Stratford

Around 20 people, a few holding signs, stood watching as the vehicles drove by. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Groundswell NZ's Mother of all Protests was on the streets of Stratford on Sunday, as utes, tractors, trucks and family cars drove through the town as part of the organised protest highlighting current rural sector concerns.

The vehicles drove slowly along Broadway between the town's two roundabouts for about 20 minutes, doing several laps around Broadway and Juliet St.

Many of the vehicles carried signs, most of them using wording encouraged by the organisers of the nationwide protest in an attempt to avoid the messaging being hijacked by anti-vaccination protesters.

A small crowd of around 20 stood on the pavement in support of the protest, some holding signs and cheering as the vehicles drove past. Not everyone out and about in Stratford on Sunday was aware of the reason for the protest, however, with one bystander asking if the vehicle convoy was part of the "anti vax stuff they did at Parliament recently".

Nik Jones said he had stopped in Stratford for something to eat on his way to New Plymouth, when he got caught in the traffic.

"Are they the anti-vaxxers? I couldn't read all the signs, just the one in front of me said 'F the Government' on the back so I thought it was those people who don't want to wear masks, do lockdowns or get vaccinated and stuff."

When told it was a rural sector protest, he said that changed his view.

"I don't mind them holding me up, they have a right to be fed up I reckon. Farmers get the blame for things that aren't their fault."

Groundswell protests also took place in Hāwera and New Plymouth at the same time.