The Twenty-Third Day
THE COUPLE sat in the middle of Molesworth Street sobbing. The young man turned his face away from the camera, shoulders heaving. The young woman stared directly at the camera lens, her face a pitiful picture of hurt and confusion. How had it come to this?
On Day 23 of the Occupation of Parliament Grounds, the Police’s patience ran out – as it was bound to, eventually.
Seldom has New Zealand witnessed a policing strategy which placed so much emphasis on “de-escalation”, or was so loathe to use violence to end what was, from the very beginning, an unlawful protest.
The restraint of Police Commissioner Andrew Coster offered a compelling historical contrast to that of Police Commissioner John Cullen, the man who called forth “Massey’s Cossacks” in 1913, and who in 1916 led the Police raid on Rua Kenana’s religious community at Maungapohatu. From the very beginning, Coster was determined to avoid the sort of violence for which Commissioner Bob Walton’s policing of the Springbok Tour is remembered. Coster was, after all, the senior police officer responsible for managing the Ihumatao occupation – the one that ended peacefully.
Unfortunately, it takes two to tango, and what passed for “the leadership” of the occupation steadfastly refused to dance. With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that a peaceful resolution was never going to happen.
As the reports of the SIS’s Combined Threat Assessment Group (CTAG) released to the NZ Herald under the Official Information Act, make disturbingly clear, the “extremist elements” within the multi-faceted and “overwhelmingly peaceful” anti-vaccination and anti-vaccination-mandate movement, have never had anything to gain from a peaceful resolution.
Coster, well aware of the CTAG assessments, gave every opportunity for the “overwhelmingly peaceful” elements encamped on Parliament Grounds to send him representatives with whom a meaningful dialogue about the character and duration of the occupation could be sustained. That this proved to be impossible indicates just how completely the residents of “Freedom Village” had allowed themselves to become enthralled to the ideas of its “extremist elements”.
Represented by that traumatised young couple in the middle of Molesworth Street, so many of the people participating in the occupation did not appear to grasp the reality of their situation. In spite of the fact that they had set their faces against the laws of the land. Heedless of the dangerous behaviour manifested by a growing number of their fellow occupiers. Regardless of the harm and inconvenience their actions were causing to others. The protesters continued to behave as if they were somehow impervious to the likely consequences of their actions.
Like the Native American “Ghost Dancers” of the late-nineteenth century, the protesters had convinced themselves that their powerful “medicine” would save them. The little world they had created on Parliament Grounds was stronger that “Jacinda’s” government; stronger than the journalists of the “evil media”; stronger than Andrew Coster and his “pigs”; stronger than anything the corrupt “system” could throw at them. Every attempt by that same system to engage with them and negotiate a peaceful resolution to their occupation was presented by the movement’s extremist guides as proof of their enemies’ diabolical cunning. All the more reason to “hold the line”.
The New Zealand government, and the New Zealand public, were prepared to let Coster give his de-escalation strategy a decent try. But, their patience was not endless. As the days turned into weeks, and the occupiers’ alternative reality kept smashing into the reality of everybody else, even Coster was forced to concede that his policy of reaching out and attempting to establish common ground had failed.
What’s more his intelligence reports began to align more and more alarmingly with the findings of CTAG. The peace, love and mung-beans crowd was thinning out, replaced by individuals eager to play the roles of “saviours” and “avengers” – by any means necessary.
It was time to wind it up.
And wind it up Coster and his highly-disciplined constables did. In scenes that will long be remembered, the Police in considerable numbers, and properly equipped (at last) with the riot gear needed to do the job, unleashed a torrent of pepper-spray on the protesters attempting to “hold the line” against the Police Commissioner’s encroaching army.
People reeled back in pain and shock. Eyes burning, skin burning, stumbling blindly, they were met by “medics” carrying 5 litre containers of milk to soothe the fire in the victims’ eyes. The skirmishers learned quickly to turn their backs to the Police, but that just offered the men and women with the riot shields increased surface area upon which to apply pressure. Remorselessly, the “line” was driven back.
And on this, the 23rd day, unlike all the other days, the Police did not stop. Like the amplified messages on continuous loop telling the protesters that continued resistance would result in arrest, phalanxes of police officers just kept on coming. Soon, every corner of “Freedom Village” was under assault. Like a garotte, the contracting police lines began to slowly but surely throttle the protest.
There was no perimeter to defend now, the blue tide was surging across Parliament Grounds, ripping out the occupiers’ tents, hurling them aside. Then the fires broke out. Tents and belongings burned. The protesters’ angry retreat became a rout. The Götterdämmerung the extremists had willed into existence over the preceding 22 days was finally upon them. Black smoke billowed-up from beneath the Pohutakawas, swirled around the statue of King Dick Seddon, and scudded over the nation’s Parliament on the wings of an early-autumn wind.
New Zealand had never seen anything like it.
In the dying days of World War II, as the British and Americans advanced deeper and deeper into western Germany, and the news of Adolf Hitler’s suicide spread, his people began to give up. His soldiers, too, started to surrender. One of these was photographed by Allied newsmen. Hans-Georg Henke was just sixteen, one of the boy soldiers that had been Nazism’s last hope, and he was weeping openly before the cameras. His child’s face a pitiful picture of hurt and confusion.
What had it all been for? How had the Fuhrer led Germany into this nightmare of death, destruction and defeat. Why had the German people allowed him to set their whole world on fire?
The look in the eyes of that young woman, as she clung tearfully to her young man in the middle of Molesworth Street on the 23rd day of the occupation; and the expression on the face of Hans-Georg Henke; were strikingly similar.
The police there were all someone’s son or daughter or wife or husband or flatmate or neighbour or clubmate.
Or meat in the sandwich or enemy.
Well done and thank you to the police. Well done to their strategists.
Peter, Yes well done New Zealand Police, acting with incredible restraint and professionalism. They’re our brothers and sisters, more so than the distanced politicians whom they also protected from the wrath and madness of deluded protestors. Few of us will ever forget the parents shouldering and holding their infants as shields, in what can only be described as acts of barbarism. Pity the children.
Thank God that nonsense is over, very poorly handled by all parties concerned. It had to happen to bring this event to an end. In hindsight the Police did a good job however in future issues needed to be addressed earlier. Mallard aggravated the situation early on with his lack of maturity.
Hey Bro, you been taken over by right wing propaganda from the dirty politics brigade. No one likes Mallard, he’s a bully and a mongrel but he is also the best speaker we have had in parliament in last 40 years and he needs to be to put up with the privileged right wing tories’ nonsense.
“ What had it all been for? How had the New Zealand people allowed her to set their whole world on fire?”
You may find that New Zealanders ask this very question of Ardern and her government at the end of their term.
Yes and exactly the right place for it to happen, not at a violent occupation with extremists.
It could all have been avoided if Ardern had removed the vaccine mandates – you know – the one the High Court said breeched the Human Rights Act.
So this is entirely on her.
(Oh and they burnt Mallard’s slide LOL)
They burnt the children’s slide Andrew, and that is not in any way amusing.
They burnt Neve’s slide not the Reichstag! Thats definately amusing, Kiwi as.
Andrew, I’m waiting th hear how the learned High Court Judge is going to make the virus abide by the Bill of Rights.
Andrew that is over simplification. The judge even indicated the mandate he was ruling on was not formed on the same basis as the others
Yes you needed to read the full outcome of the case, not hand picked snippets because it suits your narrative Andrew.
[It could all have been avoided if Ardern had removed the vaccine mandates – you know – the one the High Court said breeched the Human Rights Act.
So this is entirely on her.]
This may be so, but it’s not a valid argument against the mandates. You need to look at the whole picture: the mandates were there for a purpose.
This is fair.
Well said Chris.
Endless thanks to the Police and Fire personnel (and their families), all of them the heroes of the day.
Just get the feeling that the state has won the battle but is losing the war. All the issues remain unresolved and the “river of filth” will be dispersed for now but regroup stronger and more resilient next time.
Is this Arderns and her Labour party “deplorables” moment?
Great comment Gerrit. I have exactly the same concern.
Of course the issues haven’t been resolved.
When you have a population dumb enough to believe the conspiracy theory stuff, which hasn’t the wherewithal to appreciate and respect true learning and knowledge, there are issues.
Funny thing is they’ll defer to mechanics and technicians about their cars and computers and won’t say they no more than them.
Very true Peter, try putting tinfoil on your radiator to keep it cool or doing open heart self surgery because you know better than a specialist.
It isn’t about conspiracy theories – it’s economics. There was unjust economic outcomes for those that didn’t get vaccinated. Not getting vaccinated should not result in complete loss of income or business – that is too extreme a consequence – it is unwarranted harsh treatment.
In the context of a public health crisis – fair enough – but now with over 90% if the population vaccinated these people should be compensated financially. Just like all of us where during the lockdown. A political and economic solution was needed – as always – to resolve genuine economic grievances.
Instead we all sneered and jeered at the crazies. This is not a good ending to the situation.
This sounds like pure projection to me. Speaking as a registered nurse of 30 years with a masters degree (ie someone who can understand the science and has bothered to follow it), if you believe Bloomfield/Ardern/MSM’s version of “the science” then you have been majorly gaslit.
I’d rather be gaslit by Bloomfield than by someone self gaslighting or self promoting Lilth. You let your profession down sadly.
Bloomfields career I’m sure matches yours…
Bloomfield completed several years of clinical work and from 1996[9] specialised in public health medicine,[10] concentrating on non-communicable diseases.[11][12] In 1997, he graduated from the University of Auckland with a Master of Public Health degree, with first-class honours.[13]
Between 2004 and 2006, Bloomfield was the Ministry of Health’s acting director of public health.[14][15] From 2006 to 2010, he was the ministry’s chief public health adviser.[9]
Ashley Bloomfield being interviewed by the press after the 2020 Parliamentary rugby match (children in the background are holding up large home-made posters that say “THANK YOU DOCTOR BLOOMFIELD”)
Bloomfield after the 2020 Parliamentary rugby match
Bloomfield (right) elbow bumps with Michael Holdsworth at Government House, Wellington, in October 2020, while Dame Patsy Reddy and Sir David Gascoigne look on
From late 2010 to late 2011, based at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Bloomfield worked on non-communicable disease prevention and control with a global focus.[11] From 2012 to 2015, he held leading positions across district health boards with Capital & Coast District, Hutt Valley, and Wairarapa. From 2015 to 2018, Bloomfield was chief executive at Hutt Valley District Health Board.[16] In the first half of 2018, Bloomfield was seconded to the Capital & Coast District Health Board where he was interim chief executive. Since 11 June 2018, he has been the chief executive of the country’s Ministry of Health and the country’s Director-General of Health.[1][3][11] Since he started as the ministry’s Chief Executive he has attended a leadership programme at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.[9]
Colleagues describe Bloomfield as “measured, methodical, calm and sensible”.[9] Former health reporter Tess Nichol, writing for the American online magazine Slate, described him as “New Zealand’s current obsession, an unlikely heartthrob, a mild-mannered health care hero”.[17] Former prime minister, Geoffrey Palmer, remarked about Bloomfield: “It is a long time since a public servant has become so well-known.”[18] Perhaps in part due to the relative effectiveness of the COVID-19 measures taken by the New Zealand Government,
Yesterday was huge for NZ, much like the day Ranfurly Park was stormed in’81. It will have many ramifications.
I can’t help feeling that the majority of those protesting were there for genuine reasons. This Government has only delivered for the well heeled.
Yes well until next time….. when after these protesters or self styled martyrs, freedom fighters, rebels go back to the nooks and crannies they came from in AO/NZ some of whom will be released on bail and when they meet up with friends, family, or whoever is willing to listen, will regale them with there time in Wellington when they nearly had that b**** Ardern and her gummermint f***** and they nearly took over parliament and if it wasn’t for …………
Unfortunately me thinks this protest has created some very potentially dangerous people and do hope that a watchful eye will be kept on them in one way or another.
The core of the problem are the mandates which were declared illegal by the court and it seems that the Government wanted the protesters removed before their announcement of scrapping the mandates. They forgot that you always harvest what you sow.
The court dismissed the mandates being applicable only to the two specific groups who applied to it, on specific grounds; it wasn’t a general dismissal.
ACD, The Government will remove the mandates when advised by health modellers that they are no longer achieving their intended purpose, it really is as simple as that.
What the government has ‘sowed’ is a response that is limiting hospital admissions and doing its best to keep supply chains open. What part of that do you have a problem with?
As a protestor, striker, picketer and occupier since the 70s on so many issues and causes that some escape my memory, I am familiar with some of what the Wellington occupiers experienced.
Gaining support, putting up with public opprobrium, finance, shelter, media liaison, sanitation, internal matters to resolve, strategy and tactics to sort out and the hardest thing of all–how and when to end an action.
These Convoy occupiers by their diverse nature lacked a class analysis, and robust decision making and focus, so went down in a shower of shit as they were bound to.
The fact is if I had mounted a live in protest at that venue I would not have expected to last even one night on Parliament grounds without receiving a good kicking from the state forces!
Chris, do you think we will end up like ”Sleeping Dogs’?
Maybe Chris. Sleeping Dogs/Smiths Dream, could end up being Mallards dream?
At the time of the Tianamen Square massacre I asked a friend what they thought would have happened if a protest sat outside the seat of power in Washington or Wellington? Now we know.
Tianamen 7 weeks 100 dead.
Washington 6 hours 5 dead.
Wellington 3 weeks 0 dead.
Is that a win? Good job kiwis.
Correction, Tianamen 1000 dead.
These people had every right to protest, BUT, then go home. While they might believe Covid is not a threat, world deaths show the opposite and they needed to be moved on (and should have been quicker), to protect the neighbourhoods and people who did not agree with them who lived/worked in the area.
Would be a lot more violent in the USA, China or Russia, I think the NZ Police were very restrained IMHO.
Wow…how gone in the head are people when they think they are repressed in NZ. How gone in the head are people when they think it was a peaceful protest. How gone in the head is anyone who thinks it’s ok for people to act like thugs. Actions have consequences and they scum were shown the consequences yesterday…..and hopefully for many weeks to come via the court system. If you don’t like how the country’s run…leave! I could recommend Russia…..where you will find out what oppression is!
Time to kill off this crap about “freedom” once and for all.
The Ardern government’s management of the pandemic has created a relative increase in freedom – compared to what would have occurred without such sensible public health measures. Through 2020 and 2021 the right to life (freedom from a deadly virus) was correctly prioritised over the right to freedom of movement and the freedom to endanger other citizens by remaining in an unvaccinated state.
Now that Omicron is known to cause less severe disease – that calculus has shifted and freedom of movement is restored, just as vaccine mandates will soon be removed.
This confusion over freedom comes from the erroneous assumption that freedom is already mystically present and innate in all individuals – and that the state can only take it away. In reality, freedom is collectively constructed every day – it is socially negotiated. A democratic state can create freedom that did not previously exist (e,g. the old age pension), every bit as much as it can remove it. Good governments create lots of freedom for lots of people.
Well and thoughtfully written Chris. Freedom is something that I and many others want for our Parliament and as citizens. I don’t agree to having people invade public areas whether they are land speculators or trouble-and-strife speculators. I was prepared for them to make a case, show concern, present a petition, but to treat our Parliament as a low-grade camping ground, was totally unreasonable and treasonable. The idea that our government should not pass a mandate that all averagely healthy people should be vaccinated to prevent the spread of an unusually infectious disease, was using modern science against ancient foes of unhealthy, living, invisible foes thatin the past would have been blamed on witches by the same sort of mob we have seen.
My reading recently has been partly on Philosophy. There are some great little books available for the learner like me, and how many other unschooled philosophers?
Home – Introducing Books – Graphic Guides https://www.introducingbooks.com
Unique, comic book-style guides to humankind’s biggest ideas & thinkers. The Middle Ages. Eleanor Janega, Neil Max Emmanuel.
eg at betterbooks $19 https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/books/non-fiction/other/listing/3495820387?bof=EYlMIcoW
(Icon Books https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introducing…_(book_series)#Practical_Guides
I note an example of how co-operative movements can move sideways and down when a faction interprets co-operation with democracy, democracy with freedom, freedom with certitude of rightness of individual action, and some of the publishing co-operative sold some of the rights. The co-operative was shortly disbanded.)
And I have been rereading the story of a British resistance fighter working with the French in WW2. She, and the French knew, how important it is to be committed to your country if trying to hold to established principles. The Resistance were acting to control Nazis, dodging Gestapo and analysing the character of all strangers met. And working hard physically and mentally, and putting up with unreason from compatriots, who might unwittingly reveal your identity to the Gestapo.
image.png Moondrop to Gascony Walters, Anne-Marie Published by Pan 165, British, 1955
You couldn’t be airy-fairy about your beliefs; you had to commit yourselves to the fight against the enemy and to support each other, and when you didn’t get support, understanding and tolerance for others lacking in wisdom and strength of will and mind had to be to the fore. I can see that situation shaping up in NZ, and have found a few times here that peoples’ principles were of lower quality than expected. And had to work to maintain my own., so not perfect.
The book refers to the French being split between those standing against the Nazis, and the Vichy collaborators with their cruel armed force, the Milice.
*The Milice française (French Militia)… was a political paramilitary organization created on 30 January 1943 by the Vichy regime (with German aid) to help fight against the French Resistance during World War II. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milice
(The interesting thing was that the Nazis, despite the vicious way they behaved to so many, had their own code of behaviour. They despised the Milice for ratting on their own countrymen and women although it was to the Nazis’ advantage and they encouraged it.)
Just going to post this here – An initial look at the Pfizer documents (the one the company didn’t want releasing for 75 years so required a court order).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YOD9drZasM
We are already in a low-trust environment in the West with media and government (WMD, Bailouts for the rich, Russiagate, wealth gap, etc, etc). This has only just started, Pfizer has 8 months to release their documentation, assume the worst will be last.