Police anti-democratic overreach targets protesters outside National MP offices

PSNA is accusing Christchurch police of overreach and committing a chilling breach of the right to protest, by issuing trespass notices on people protesting National Party MPs’ complicity in Israel’s genocide.

The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa has asked the Independent Police Conduct Authority for an urgent investigation.

Last Thursday, PSNA co-chair John Minto says he was one of around 20 people protesting outside the Clyde Road office of National MP Hamish Campbell at the Fendalton Mall.

“No-one asked us to leave. After a couple of hours two police arrived and asked people to move from outside the office and onto the footpath, which the group did immediately.”

“Later, police drove past the protest group twice taking film on a mobile phone.”

“In the following days police have visited several of our homes to deliver ‘trespass notices’ (see attached notice) on behalf of the owners of the shopping centre.”

“We presume this was under an instruction from Campbell himself, or from a National Party official.  We have no idea.  We weren’t told anything.  There’s just an ‘Occupier” name on the notice.’

“I have never experienced police behaviour like this” says Minto. “In my experience, which many would say is rather considerable, I’ve seen police action against groups sitting in MPs’ offices, or move on protesters when they had blocked an entranceway or had impeded passersby, or refused to move when asked.  But on this occasion none of this happened”

“The Fendalton locals we talked to were strongly in support of the protest. Many of them said they were revolted at Israel’s genocidal attacks on Palestinians and the cowardice of the National Government to take any position against it,” Minto says.

“In two hours of positive interactions, only a single local told us to “bugger off”.

“The public show they are with us, but the police are doing their best to close us down.”

“Even the police sergeant and constable who handed me the trespass notice on my doorstep agreed they had better things to do.”

Sara Campbell who was at the protest posted her outrage on her FB page:

Absolutely outraged I asked the officers… “What is becoming of our country?” “Why are police resources, including surveillance, being used in this way?” “This is shocking”.

“The Prime Minister recently said that facing up to protests was a valid part of political life. A legitimate location of that must be an electorate office.  We are protesting about complicity in genocide. Our right to publicly criticise that complicity is vital.”

“If anonymous complainants can ban any protests in their vicinity, by issuing trespass notices, then the right to free speech is abolished in this country.”

“There is a Bill of Rights Act which is meant to protect that right. That protection is under threat.”

We want to know:

• What evidence of lawbreaking or wrongdoing did the police have which justified the issuing of trespass notices?
• What legal basis was used to identify those in the protest group as somehow in breach of the law?
• Why have the police taken on the role of agents for the National Party (and the business owner) in closing down the right to protest outside an MP’s office?
• Under what legal justification did the police take video on the protest and then use it to identify individuals for issuing trespass notices against?
• Do the local MP and the Prime Minister approve of this abuse of police power?

John Minto
Co-Chair PSNA