Protest activity - Parliament grounds
Police will be highly visible across Wellington city from today with extra police staff redeployed from across the country, ahead of anticipated protest activity heading to Parliament grounds tomorrow.
We know that over the past few days several groups have been moving across the country in support of a variety of protest causes, most of which are planning to end at Parliament grounds tomorrow.
Police will have a clearer picture of the numbers involved later today as protest groups move closer to Wellington.
Our planning for this has been underway for several weeks, and we are now well placed to respond to a number of, and range of, scenarios. Last year’s Parliamentary occupation provided some helpful learnings for us as an organisation.
Staff numbers have been boosted across all shifts in the district for next two days with more than 80 staff specifically trained in Public Order Policing mobilised to support Wellington district staff.
The focus for Police this week has been on talking to local residents and businesses as well as local iwi and agencies across the government sector.
Road closures are now in place around Parliament, with Molesworth Street and neighbouring streets closed, or operating with restricted access. Parliament has been deemed a no-fly zone, which also prohibits drones.
Our focus has been on ensuring buses and trains are able to operate as normal, and that disruption for local residents and businesses is minimal.
For those coming to march and protest at Parliament, we respect people’s right to demonstrate peacefully in support of their cause, but we are prepared to take enforcement action if it stops being peaceful.
We will have a very low tolerance for any structures being set up on the grounds, and we do have the ability to mobilise additional staff quickly if required. Tow trucks will be on stand-by in the city.
There may be some incidents on which we will need follow up as enquiries later.
To that end, we are keen to have the public’s assistance – to help be our eyes and ears, particularly on Lambton Quay, during the march to Parliament. We will likely want to see any video footage of unlawful activity, and people can report this through 105. But we are also asking that people don’t intervene or compromise their own safety.
It is an important part of our democracy that we preserve people’s right to protest. In the end, our hope is that people come to our city, to have their say on Parliament grounds, and then to leave peacefully.
Poll: Do you think NZ should ban social media for youth?
The Australian Prime Minister has expressed plans to ban social media use for children.
This would make it illegal for under 16-year-olds to have accounts on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Social media platforms would be tasked with ensuring children have no access (under-age children and their parents wouldn’t be penalised for breaching the age limit)
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scumbags
There are some really awful people around at the moment. This is what happened on Sunday.
We live in Hinemoa Street opposite the Waiwhetu Stream. At around 3.40 in the afternoon I was looking out my window and saw a car pull up and start to feed the geese and ducks out the window. Then The passenger an asian man jumped out and threw himself onto a goose. he picked it up and put it the boot of the car.
I immediately ran over and stood in front of his car to stop him moving I also called my husband to help. A lovely man was riding his bike and saw it and stopped to help me. The driver tried to drive into me but I didnt move. He tried telling us it was his pet. These are wild geese.
They had a cage in the boot and some wire all ready to catch the poor bird like they have done it before. My husband took the bird from the car and released it. I then moved out of the way and after lots of abuse from the driver they drove off threatening to come back and get more.
No one should be allowed to take these beautiful birds and certainly not like this. they are all starting to have wee babies at the moment the whole thing was so upsetting to me. Another neighbour further down the road also saw it all happen.
Please keep a look out for this car and if you see them by the stream go over and watch them lets all stop this happening.
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