Pro-Hamas Protestors Becoming More Violent, Police Actions Called Into Question

TeKaahu

By TeKāhu 

As pro-Palestine/Hamas protests continue, there are growing concerns about the conduct of those protesting.

Recently, Free Speech Union released their letter: Concerning pattern of abuse of speech and protest rights by New Zealand Police.

It follows:

  1. The Free Speech Union is a registered trade union with a mission to fight for, protect, and expand New Zealanders’ rights to freedom of speech, conscience, and intellectual inquiry. We believe in the right to peaceful protest and counter-protest, and believe that both are an important part of the process of bringing attention to important issues, debating them and resolving them. This is to say that peaceful protest and counter-protest are essential to the collective decision-making process of a free and democratic society. We further believe that Police have a duty to protect free expression, and absolutely must not arrest people for peaceful, lawful protests.
  2. We write to you following the appearance of Daniel Maxwell in the District Court in Auckland today after being arrested for counter-protesting a pro-Palestine rally. The Police report states that Mr Maxwell was holding an Israeli flag, yelling “provocative anti-Islamic statements” and using a megaphone to communicate “pro-Christian statements”.
  3. The Summary of Facts presented to the Court claimed “Police have been informed by the Palestinian rally organisers that their people see any form of Israeli regalia as a sign of violence towards them… [Maxwell] was carrying an Israeli flag [and] given a direction by Police to leave the area and not return.”
  4. If this description of his activities is accurate, then these are examples of legally protected free expression, which raises the question: why did NZ Police interfere with Mr Maxwell’s protest activity?
  5. We understand that this issue is before the Courts, and do not seek your specific comment on it. Yet, we reference this case as it is not an isolated incident. We have detected a pattern of behaviour from NZ Police recently, of interfering with, silencing and arresting peaceful protesters. A similar case we have taken on is that of Lucy Rogers, who was also arrested on the same day as Mr. Maxwell. Ms Rogers was arrested for peacefully counter-protesting a pro-Palestine rally on Auckland’s Queen Street: she was silently carrying a sign that read “selective condemnation of genocide is evil”, yet was accosted by a group of police officers who confiscated and tore up her sign and arrested her for a ‘breach of the peace’. She was only released after agreeing not to return to the protest that day. Ms Rogers recorded her arrest on her phone, which was uploaded to YouTube and can be viewed here.
  6. More concerningly, we have been told by Sarah Bullen of the Independent Police Conduct Authority that a number of arrests of a very similar nature have been made, and in response a collection of similar complaints to the IPCA. We are very concerned by this claim, and are exploring it further. If this statement is true, it would seem to indicate a systematic use of ‘breach of the peace’ powers, and regular abuse of speech and protest rights.
  7. The use of ‘breach of the peace’ laws to suppress lawful protest is a development the Free Speech Union has observed overseas, particularly in Britain, but more recently also in Canada and Australia. We insist this practice must not be accepted in New Zealand.
  8. Peaceful protest and counter-protest, even over complex, fraught, and contentious issues must be permitted in a liberal democracy. Lawful protest must not be quashed based on fears of retributive violence from others, or for any other reason.
  9. In the past, we have discussed the need for the Free Speech Union to work with the Police to ensure best practice on the protection of free expression rights. We hope we will be able to continue this conversation constructively. We write to request you seek advice on these issues, and work to ensure that New Zealand Police operate with respect for all New Zealanders right to speak and protest freely.
  10. I look forward to your response.

Along with the above, citizen photojournalist Simon Anderson, has been covering the protests with some concerning footage.

Mr Sanderson came to worldwide attention when it was his footage that went worldwide after it debunked the NZ Mainstream Media narrative that the infamous ‘Posie Parker’ 2023 event was ‘joyful, life-affirming and full of love’ (The Spinoff, March 2023).

His footage exposed the true event as a screaming, violent mob of transactivists who attacked multiple women before hunting down another unrelated event and attempting the same.

Recently, he has been covering the Pro-Palestine/Hamas protests against Israel, with escalating concerns around protestor conduct and NZ Police reactions.

Mr Anderson has also been harassed and physically jostled by some protesters. He stated on his X thread that ‘To be clear, I have never been harassed by Muslim or Arabic people at these demonstrations. They have been universally smiley, happy people who wave.

All the grief comes from the leftist ‘allies.’

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