Covid-19: Two arrests and more likely at anti-lockdown hīkoi

Thursday, 28 October 2021

Thousands of people gathered at Waitangi on Wednesday for the Sovereign Hikoi of Trust’s finishing point: He Wakaputanga, the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Two people at the anti-lockdown hīkoi camped at Mercer have been arrested after trying to cross the border into Auckland.

Police confirmed the arrests after the two “were caught attempting to cross the border at Mercer by crossing on foot on train tracks”.

Poilce said they verbally trespassed a group of protesters at the Auckland checkpoint, who are currently occupying land owned by transport agency Waka Kotahi.

“Police are engaging with the protestors and encouraging them to leave the site. Those who refuse to leave the area this afternoon will likely be arrested for trespass,” a police spokesperson said.

The two arrested men will be summonsed to appear in court in relation to breaching the Health Order.

Police said they were dealing with an “unfolding situation” at the site, and that further updates would only be available “once the situation is resolved”.

Transport agency Waka Kotahi had also warned motorists of the closure of southbound lanes at State Highway 1 in Mercer “due to an incident”.

A Waka Kotahi traffic camera shows traffic backed up on SH1 at Mercer South

The protesters had been at Auckland's southern border as police refuse to let them cross illegally.

Up to 75 people stayed in the rain overnight and were still there on Thursday morning, a police spokesman said earlier on Thursday.

**READ MORE:

A hīkoi was stopped by police at the southern border on Tuesday evening, stopping it from entering Auckland and travelling towards Northland.

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* Covid-19 outbreak situation report: What happened today, October 27

* Covid-19: Life on the borderline between alert level 4 and level 3

No protesters remain at Auckland's northern border.

Members of the group were forced to camp on the side of the road.

On Tuesday a large convoy of vehicles spent the night camped by the roadside as police halted their march at the Mercer checkpoint.

The group were protesting Covid-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates and had planned to take their campaign from Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty, to Northland, passing through Auckland.

Several thousand people gathered at Waitangi for the end of the Sovereign Hikoi of Truth's march.

Despite being stopped at the border, the group which calls itself Sovereign Hīkoi of Truth (SHOT), refused to back down and campaigned throughout Wednesday from their police-barricaded spot on the side of the road.

Some waved flags from camping chairs, while others parked protest vehicles in the middle of the road.

Protesters were welcomed onto the marae by Te Tii leaders showing manaakitanga (hospitality).

Two protest vehicles, including a bus, were parked in the northern lanes of State Highway 1 and their drivers refused to move them.

About 50 protesters also turned up at Auckland’s northern checkpoints at Te Hana on Wednesday morning, but left without issue, police said.

By Wednesday evening, 40-50 protesters’ vehicles remained at the Mercer checkpoint.

In Northland, around 2000 people flocked to Waitangi on Wednesday, including hīkoi participants, for He Whakaputanga - Declaration of Independence celebrations.

Police were on site for general policing only, despite the protest’s breach of the 100-person gathering rules in place under Northland’s alert level 2.

Numbers were smaller for the second day on Thursday, with people dispersing after the morning’s celebrations.

Tai Tokerau Border Control regional co-ordinator Reuben Taipari said he discouraged the hīkoi for safety reasons, and was worried about the risk to elders by so many people gathering together.

The hīkoi organisers needed to do better to support Te Tii Waitangi Marae to cope with the influx of people, he said.

Tai Tokerau Border Control was asked to provide security overnight on Wednesday, because marae leaders felt they did not have the resources to do so.

One protester in Waitangi said he attended to stand up against a “growing wrong” while another had brought her family along to “support the freedom of choice”.