... but left too early to experience the unnecessary mayhem that kicked off later in the afternoon.
I reported to a friend:
The focal point has moved to the corner of Molesworth and Hill streets, but some are still at the steps of parliament. There is a guy keeping up a calming narrative (I know you hate that word, but this is the proper use) as the police broadcast a trespass message. It's quite powerful.
I think the authorities are planning to broadcast some terrible sustained screeching noise which they rehearse periodically. Earbuds have been handed out.
I moved up to the hub where lines of riot police are facing the crowd, some of whom are sitting on the tops of remaining vehicles. People are making short speeches and music is playing. National MP Mark Mitchell said on NewstalkZB this morning there are far more gang members there now. I didn't see them. There's two tidy Mongrel Mob members who have been there from early days.
I made friends with Bubba from Tauranga and gave her my number if she needs help. Her van was towed away last night, to where she hasn't a clue. She still has her tent, but police are moving in on those too starting from the Hill St side. The protestors at the front line have to watch as police drag tents, tarpaulins, chairs, blankets etc down Hill St and biff them all in a high-sided tip-truck. The police are manning all the vehicles that are towing, bulldozing etc.
When I arrived in town earlier, I ended up behind one of the very long Corrections transporters so followed it. All the way to the police station by the central library. They had blocked off the last road though and by the time I had circled the block and parked they were already offloading the final arrested protestor and taking into the station. What amazed me was not one member of the media had bothered to capture any of this. It's truly horrible.
I left around 1pm. It's been pretty quiet and I think the police will continue dirty deeds under the cloak of darkness. (How wrong I was).
Look at this 'violent nasty thug' readying to 'hold the line'. The police look like they are dressed up for roller-blading. It'd be funny if it wasn't so dreadful.
It was important for me to be there. Otherwise I wouldn't know that media descriptions like "just a pack of lowlifes " simply weren't true.
16 comments:
The Mandate was judged to be illegal in the High Court for police. The Revolt wanted the same justice for themselves that the police attacking them benefit from. And, they wanted to achieve it peacefully though the police kept on coming hard.
How long until the politicians, media, police, and wackademics are repaid in kind for initiating force and making peaceful change impossible?
Interesting Lindsay. My take on the reporting is that the media just lack the capacity for nuance. Protesters bad - cops good. Not sure if it's the IQ of the journalists or the audience!
Seems to me there are multiple intersecting groups - I'm being flippant but perhaps Christians, Hippies, aggressive folk looking for a fight with police, and purposeful agitators. Plus police.
Thoughts?
Setting fire to the playground and rioting was a classy touch. Peace and love. Is it impossible for you to be balanced?
Lindsay
Thank you for taking the time to visit the protest for yourself and to report on what you saw there. The media is completely untrustworthy. I deeply regret their ideological capture.
A handful of us protested the mandates at our local library this morning. There was an Armed forces Soldier on security duty, disguised as a 'Red Badge' security guard. We got chatting, he had been seriously wounded in Afghanistan. As one of my sons later commented: "When is Martial Law not Martial Law? When it's clothed in Red Badge Security paraphernalia."
Lots of expressions of support by those using the Library, mixed with some who were visibly angry at our presence. The mandates are very polarising.
If nothing else, the battle of Molesworth Street livened up the afternoons TV options.
While it was sad to view the mayhem from my responsible old bloke perspective, it was heartening to know the occupation didn't end with just a whimper. A bit of agro helps the rough element have their moment of infamy.
I thought the Covid Queens Stormtroopers looked cute in their Roller Derby costumes.
Nice for you to be able to get off on the violence from the safety of your basement, Mark. Seriously, why are libertarians so lacking to perspective and empathy?
Desperado, There was an element physically on the outskirts that looked like they would ultimately cause trouble if the police took coercive action. Today police are being deified. But people have quickly forgotten that their actions in the first few days, when they picked peaceful protestors off one by one, brought a much broader element to the occupation. The coalition of groups who put their names to the protest were very clear their purpose was to end the mandates. What worried me deeply yesterday was the occupation had drawn in some 'wounded' types. Probably people with poor mental health. People with personal trauma who had found some comfort in religion. I got to recognize their faces. I spoke to a counselor there who said, in her observation, some grew up without control of their lives as children (abused, state-care whatever) and they desperately need to feel they have some agency as adults. It's a part of their psyche. There, at the village they'd built, they felt safe. Accepted and appreciated. After the destruction that occurred yesterday, I just hope some of the friendships that will have sprung up give them support from here in. A lot that is good and enduring personally will flow from the protest - I am certain.
Thanks Lindsay for all your effort to give us unbiased coverage.
PCC has a new ban in place for "covid", but more likely to boot out the protesters staying around the area. Mana had a swag of campers covered with freedom slogans last time I was down there.
Pretty shitty if you happen to be homeless in one of the most costly places to rent in NZ. https://poriruacity.govt.nz/discover-porirua/stay-here/camping-and-campervans/
Seriously Judge, what happened yesterday when the powder keg blew, was inevitable. Elements from all parties with a vested interest have contributed to fanning the fuse from the moment the protest set up camp. They all had their own objectives.
I suspect at this moment spin doctors for the government and the police will be in top gear churning out their version of events which will be regurgitated by the MSM.
The government was taking no more notice of the peoples concerns over the protest than they are over our concerns about the tribal mafia taking over the country without the need for a vote.
Meanwhile all the problems which existed before the protest, remain unsolved and the shell shocked members of the protest are the collateral damage associated with moving on to the next catastrophe. .
Brendan, I admire you. It's hard to protest at an intimate level. You are very exposed. But you might have seen what I have. That the people angry at protestors are far angrier than those protesting.
Thanks Lindsay, the respect is mutual.
It's true that you do feel vulnerable, at least initially. You are making a stand on someone else's territory. You are holding placards that are confronting for some people. The Librarian is displeased at your presence, complains that you are not wearing masks (we are outside for goodness sake) and stalks off to consult 'higher authorities'.
But people come over to express support, and those who are opposed are typically too intimidated by your presence to confront you directly, although some do.
We do attempt to be polite, engaging and personable. Of course being 'winsome' does not always carry the day.
I was a Vietnam war protester in my youth. I have protested against abortion outside clinics a few decades ago, and so I have dusted off my protest credentials to support those who have been marginalised by the vaccine mandates, and also those who have suffered vaccine injury. Here in New Zealand both groups are numbered in their thousands.
If some folks are uncomfortable about that, so be it.
Zoe, How convenient. Thanks for the alert
Certainly the media view can always be misleading. Media does not get to interview each and every protester – mainly because many were so abusive. I have made comments on my blog post and I will always take the point that not all protesters are out and out troublemakers. To save space on Lindsay’s site my comments are here. There will be more updates there in a couple of days.
https://eamonsloan.blogspot.com/
Lindsay, today as I watch traffic flowing past home heading both North and South on Highway 2, I have observed 3 police cars heading North with what appears to be 2 officers in each and the back seat full of what looks like packs and suitcases. I suspect they are heading home to places unknown after fulfilling their Stormtrooper obligations in Wellington.
Incidentally, today there are more police cars outside headquarters here on Main Street than were present for the last week.
Hopefully things are back to normal and criminals will need to start looking over their shoulders again.
Tom MacDonald
I am going with this today (it is a music video on youtube).
I don't know who he is, I am not fond of tats and I am not that fond of rap, but I have no problem with pretty much most things as long as you don't force me to do it.
What cheers me up about this is that it is people much younger than me creating it.
It was abundantly clear even from the "MSM's carefully selected imagery, that the narrative they were pushing was unsustainable.
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