An unmarked security car has been placed outside the apartment of Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown this past weekend and new CCTV cameras will be installed following personal social media comments that council and security officials have deemed threatening enough to require precautionary measures.
The mayor has been in the firing line from some people over the past week following the official final speedway race at Western Springs nine days ago and a video that Brown posted on social media, explaining an Auckland Council decision last October to spend $11 million to redevelop Waikaraka Park to accommodate speedway.
That video and council’s decision have drawn plenty of vitriol and name-calling comments, some of which have gone beyond politics, to target the mayor personally.
One user had stated on Facebook, “How’s the family, Wayne”. In another post seen by the Herald, the user stated, “Coming to see you Wayne”. Another post warns him to “be careful crossing the road”.
“I don’t think they’re interested in how my family is,” says Brown.
I’m no fan of Wayne Brown either, but threatening him in away way shape or form is an ugly sickness that has crept into NZ Politics.
We are seeing it with death threats towards Benjamin Doyle.
In NZ we fight politics hard, but we never over step the mark toward physical violence because the moment we go from figurative or metaphorical rhetoric to literal, we are refusing to engage in the debate in favour of violence and intimidation.
That’s why I was so critical of the Posie Parker fiasco.
That’s why I stand for free speech.
Threatening the Mayor is unacceptable.
Our leaders require scrutiny, protest and criticism – they should never be threatened.
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How did that debacle start? About 20 years ago moaning yuppies moved into the houses on the hill above western springs. After failing to do due diligence they reckoned they couldn’t drink a wine on the deck in peace on Saturday night. Although they never whined about the free U2 and Rolling Stones concerts they got to attend.
Working class sports tradition: 0
Auckland Council concert venue hire fees: $
I understand the Free Speech idea, but can anyone tell me when they have ever stood up for a left wing cause. I wrote to them about Stuff not taking an advert pro Palestine, I got a little patsy email back because they are on the side of the RIGHT well and truly. And of course Cumin is part of their outfit that wouldn’t dare saying anything that might support Palestine.
The term “brown nosing” takes on new meaning when Bob the fart sucks up to Mayor Browny.
Wayne is a self serving egotist whose time is nearly over, but he like anyone in public office should not be subject to threats.
Golly Bob! I did not know you could spell ‘accolade’.
It could be a dodgy autocorrect of a misspelling of the phrase “a coca cola” ?
How nice of all you sweethearts to have a take notice of Bob1st and buck him up session! FGS stick to the point – our future and what changes we have to make. Otherwise you are being light-headed and not ensuring there is a lifeboat ready to accommodate you. Or perhaps you love the modern world so much that you will be happy to advance things like the space program, and would offer to be a token monkey on their test flights.
Hmmm I wonder how they gauge the level of seriousness in the threats as the ones quoted here against Brown sound pretty bullshit. Like not much to get worried about. I guess any threat is a threat tho, not cool. But yeah…that’s probably a lot of public money for nothing much if guards are getting placed for some vague dumass comment threatening something like “watch out” etc on the internet..to me that is not enough of a threat to warrant a watch dog guard in NZ.
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