Jacinda Ardern has shown leadership by demanding a halt to the building of houses on disputed land at Ihumātao while dialogue is pursued, unfortunately Simon Bridges doesn’t share that courage.
Instead, Simon is calling for Police to invade the encampment and start making mass arrests, in this interview to be screened tonight on Q&A, the National Party leader wants to do what every National Party Leader dreams of, bashing protestors and sending in the dogs on Māori…
Simon Bridges says ‘laws need to be observed’ by Ihumātao protestors
Asked by host Jack Tame would he support police removing the people who are occupying the land at the moment, Mr Bridges said the law is pretty simple when it comes to protests.
“You have an absolute right in this country to legitimate, fair, vociferous protest. You don’t have a right to break the law and get in the way of other people’s lawful activity,” he said.
Asked are they trespassing and should they be moved on by police, Mr Bridges said he doesn’t know “the ins and out”, but that his opinion is pretty simple.
“If they’re breaking the law that is a different proposition from lawful, sometimes vociferous protest.”
Pressed on whether the protestors should be moved on if police deem they are trespassing, he said, “Laws need to be observed. And I want to live in a society where actually people can get a house. And we’re doing something about that.”
…if there was ever a reason this clown should never be Prime Minister, it’s this utterance. Does anyone think for one second that sending in the cops to forcibly remove protestors would do authoring other than escalate and enflame this situation?
Could you imagine the international headlines that Simon’s purge would cause?
Could you imagine the immediate feedback loop of cultural resentment that would explode if Simon got his wish?
Does anyone think that the forced removal of protestors from a scared historic site that is in dispute with the indigenous people would result in anything other than violence?
And after the Police move in and protestors come back in larger numbers, what would Simon do then? Send in the army?
Simon doesn’t have the foresight to be the Prime Minister if this is his response to Ihumātao.
Now that is a true plastic maari for you, him (Mr Bridges) and that Paula. Both as plastic as Chinese made. All that bulshit about being maari. They just got selected to okay bashing other maariz.
they’re allowed to protest sure, he’s not saying they can’t, he’s saying that if they’re considered to be trespassing, the police should arrest them if they decide not to leave. Pretty common sense if you ask anyone who understands what laws are for.
And just how would you go about arresting a couple of thousand people, Jake? And if the Police did start, what do you think would happen next?
Think it through. This is not Saudi Arabia, Russia, or China. If you think it’s as simple as “the police should arrest them if they decide not to leave”, then the “common sense” you’re referring to is in short supply.
they r not trespasssing
fletchers bought stolen land
can i keep ur car if i bought it knowing my m8 stole it from u
i dont think so
that is and always was iwi land
fketcherd made the mistake of buying stolen land becoz the people that sold it tricked fletcherd into thinking they owned to sell.
now fletchers shld take their losses and walk the same walk we all walk when we buy stolen goods
knowing or not
Regarding your comment that “Does anyone think that the forced removal of protestors from a scared historic site that is in dispute with the indigenous people would result in anything other than violence?”
If you’re talking about the protesters reacting violently then I think you’re insulting their commitment to non-violence which by definition means not resisting arrest and removal.
Forced removal didn’t result in a violent reaction from Maori activists at Bastion Point even when the authorities burnt all their buildings. Nor at Parihaka.
Give SOUL more credit and remember Maori are the masters of non-violent resistance in these lands.
Should we assume that he’s referring to the protestors? I’d be much more worried about violence from the police.
I am glad soimon has shown his true colours he will be gone soon and will will still be here fighting the good peaceful fight like our whanau from Parihaka.
I say put Simon in charge. Images of police beating up on protestors will shock a lot of New Zealanders into supporting the protestors. If the right wing shows it’s true colours middle New Zealand will turn away from en masse!
You’ve got, what looks like, an autocorrect error:
…forcibly remove protestors would do authoring other than escalate and enflame this situation?…
Authoring should be “anything”.
my information is that this land was part of a treaty settlement made in 2014 which was agreed by all of parliment including the Greens. They are now joining the protestors as they see extra votes in this situation and they know they need all they can get according to the latest poll. I wonder who is backing this group with money allowing them to stay for so long. It is really a family dispute that has taken on a public face between the old order and young blood who are being egged on by outside forces that want to see NZ split. It is similar to Brexit in the UK or the yellow vests in France .
no comparison trev do your homework who made the area an SHA what is the purpose of an SHA to house who ? at what costs and why has this development been allowed on this land at a time when many Nzers are fighting housing developments in their own backyard (NIMBYS). Why wasn’t the haapu Maori owners given first rights to purchase this land should it become available. Why did the haapu receive so little back for such valuable land and why are Maori cultural sites not given the same level of significance to Pakeha valued historical sites. And lastly why are we still receiving a pittance for our land given land in NZ has increased significantly in value and our people are over represented in homelessness and all facets of life.
Wants to play the Māori card when it suits him. You’re an idiot and always will be Simon. We all know Judith Collins will roll you come election year.
Hi everyone he’s lucky whina Cooper not a live if she was it would not go well with national Simon bridges because what he is doing is interfering. What I’m trying to say is our people have right to be voice in this country about land ownership and yeah they made a mistake on signing the papers but not knowing where they are going to build on Maori land but the only way is that Fletcher and the iwi have to solve it before it gets out of control like I why can’t they come to some solution I sure it’s not hard that’s why the prime minister jacida has a better way to the solution because back in the day bastion point was bad back in the day but now they have got they land back. Like what I’m saying is that I hope it doesn’t get any ugly because it’s happening again. To the voters I hope we don’t make a mistake on making him prime minister because we a leader that can run our country and not go through the same thing what happened to the people okay
Well said Mack Hill soimon is horrid he does not care about his own people we don’t want someone like him to be our PM we want someone that cares about all NZers not just those with money.
Stupid is as stupid says….this coming g from a guy who claims to have Maori heritage??? He obviously hasn’t studied history or th stand taken at Bastion point …..Ron forbid he ever becomes PM
So, we can now rest easy in the knowledge that, with the national party now firmly settled back into it’s historical role of enablers of the colonial agenda, that order will finally be restored, and the days of socialist madness will become an urban myth…
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