Covid 19 Delta outbreak: 'Scam' anti-lockdown hīkoi stopped at Mercer boundary after overnight standoff

The self-proclaimed Sovereign Hīkoi of Fact (SHOT) was stopped by police at Mercer, south of Auckland, thwarting their try and breach Auckland’s border restrictions.
Video / Mike Scott / Michael Craig

“Extremely disenchanted” police have blasted the behaviour of anti-lockdown hīkoi members who blocked a state freeway, risking public security.

A robust police contingent is continuous to watch a hīkoi involving members of the Sovereign Hīkoi of Fact (SHOT) motion on the Southern Auckland checkpoint border after a police line had for use to maneuver the protesters off the freeway within the early hours of this morning.

“Police are extremely disenchanted that this group of protesters have chosen to take this motion,” they stated in an announcement.

“By finishing up non-essential journey they’re placing themselves, our employees and the broader group in danger, whereas further Police assets have needed to be redeployed in an effort to monitor the actions of this group on the checkpoints.”

The group declare to be heading to Waitangi – however have been advised they aren’t welcome there by native Māori leaders.

Tai Tokerau Border Management founder Hone Harawira has described the hīkoi as “a rip-off” organised by Pākehā anti-vaxxers.

“There isn’t any invitation from Waitangi Marae, no invitation from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, no invitation from Ngāti Kawa or Ngāti Rahiri, and no invitation from Ngāpuhi,” the previous Tai Tokerau MP stated.

The convoy of round 50 autos carrying about 100 folks arrived on the Southern checkpoint border in Mercer simply earlier than midnight.

Two protest autos, together with a bus, stay parked on State Freeway 1 within the northern lanes with the drivers refusing to maneuver them. Visitors is being diverted round them and police try to get the drivers to maneuver them off the highway.

Police negotiators and iwi liaison officers had been known as in to assist after a number of the protesters “surged ahead” on foot from Orams Rd blocking the southern lane of SH1, however when this failed a police line was used, a police media assertion stated.

“The group was directed by police to a gravel space on Orams Rd, to maneuver away from blocking the highway and disrupting visitors travelling by way of the checkpoint.”

The group is making an attempt to get to Waitangi in Northland the place chief of the Open air Get together and outstanding anti-vaccine and anti-5G activist Sue Gray shall be talking.

Gray flew to Kerikeri on a personal airplane yesterday after which travelled to Waitangi yesterday.

Talking on a Fb livestream, Gray needed to set the report straight and confirmed the Waitangi occasion was going forward, however the “actually, actually unhealthy information” was the hīkoi had been blocked at Auckland’s southern border.

Police had put a giant truck throughout the highway and laid down spikes, she stated.

Gray stated her co-leader Alan Simmons had advised her that Hone Harawira appeared to have single-handedly satisfied police that the occasion had been cancelled so an entire group of individuals weren’t being allowed by way of the checkpoint to attend.

Gray, talking on a second livestreamed video, stated folks stopped at Auckland’s southern border had been “fairly sad and pissed off” on the approach they’d been handled and urged folks to go and help them.

“It appears to me the individuals who want help are the folks which might be blocked on the border down within the south of Auckland wanting to come back right here which were stopped. It will be useful for folks to provide them some help as a result of there are some fairly sad folks there who’re fairly pissed off with the best way they have been handled and the data we’ve got that all of it got here down to 1 particular person telling the police that all the pieces is and that is why they weren’t allowed to come back by way of.”

She stated it appeared so unfair that should you may afford to fly on a airplane from Wellington you possibly can get there, however there was no route for many who needed to drive from stage 2 into one other stage 2 space.

Her recommendation to those that had been being stopped was that it “if was adequate for police to dam the folks then it was adequate for the folks to dam the police”, including if the highway was closed then it needs to be to everybody not only a choose few.

Waikato mayor Allan Sanson stated the protesters wanted to go dwelling. “They don’t seem to be welcome right here, they should go dwelling. They’ve really come by way of a quarantine line, they do not belong right here, they aren’t needed right here – bugger off.”

Sanson stated it was his understanding most people within the hīkoi had been from Rotorua so had illegally travelled from a stage 2 space right into a stage 3 space.

In the meantime lengthy queues have been constructing on the southern Mercer border into Auckland this morning and police are warning motorists there could also be delays.

Dozens of vehicles concerned within the hīkoi arrived on the checkpoint at midnight and are refusing to depart until they’re allowed by way of the border to allow them to journey as much as Northland.

However the “peaceable protest” is inflicting havoc for commuters heading into Auckland this morning.

There’s a heavy police presence on the Mercer border at the moment. Picture / Mike Scott

A motorist advised the Herald visitors was already crawling alongside nearly 10km from the southern checkpoint close to the Springhill Rd turnoff in Meremere. From there it was taking about an hour to get to the checkpoint.

Visitors is backed up on the southern motorway for nearly 10km as folks wait to get by way of Auckland’s southern checkpoint. Picture / Mike Scott

Movies present SHOT members standing on the border saying they’re standing “in peace, love and unity” and for the individuals who worry to undergo medical procedures they declare are harming folks.

Police have beefed up staffing on the checkpoint to cease the group crossing by way of. A bunch of law enforcement officials have been standing in a line on the southern facet of the motorway in entrance of the group stopping them from shifting on to the busy highway – however the variety of officers was into double figures in a single day.

One of many group’s leaders might be heard on a dwell video posted on social media earlier this morning saying they won’t disrespect the Police who’re following a directive, but when they won’t enable them to journey then they are going to keep proper there till their whanau arrives.

Police and ‘freedom’ marchers on the Mercer checkpoint. Picture / Michael Craig

A number of small tents have been arrange on a grass verge close to the Orams Rd checkpoint on the southern facet of the motorway after the group had been compelled to camp there in a single day.

“We do not transfer until it is ahead,” the group might be heard saying.

Earlier this morning there have been about 70 folks gathered on the checkpoint and the unmasked protesters are refusing to maneuver. There was singing and chanting all through the morning.

The group has dwindled to about 50 people who find themselves organising camp on the border. Three marquees have been erected.

Vehicles are additionally gathered close to BP Bombay on the opposite facet of the border ready for the hīkoi to get by way of.

The ‘freedom’ marchers have arrange camp and being refused permission to enter Auckland. Picture / Mike Scott

The group left Rotorua at 6pm with the goal of travelling by way of Auckland and is heading north to Te Tii o Waitangi for a pōwhiri at noon at the moment.

Greater than 50 individuals concerned within the anti-lockdown hīkoi have additionally been stopped from crossing into Tai Tokerau by police at Auckland’s northern border.

They tried to enter Northland early on Wednesday morning, however authorities had been fast to cease them. There are actually only some protesters remaining in Te Hana on the Auckland facet of the border.

A automotive hīkoi linked to the group can be understood to have assembled at Kensington Park round 9.30am to maneuver north in the direction of Waitangi.

Ngāpuhi chair Wane Wharerau stated the runanga additionally opposed the occasion as a result of having a bunch opposing vaccinations was “harmful” for whānau residing in Te Tai Tokerau at the moment.

Wharerau stated the hīkoi sadly diverted consideration from a real commemoration of a covenant within the historical past of Ngāpuhi. Greater than 100 years in the past Te Tai Tokerau misplaced 1000’s of whānau because of the Spanish flu and now it was dealing with an identical pandemic, however this time there was a vaccine out there to assist combat it, he stated.

He stated folks can be welcome at a time when it was protected for them to take action.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei deputy chair Ngarimu Blair stated because the tangata whenua of central Auckland it could not help such a protest at any time as a result of such actions put in danger what the folks of Auckland had endured and labored so onerous for over successive lockdowns.

“Aucklanders have finished the heavy lifting for the nation and we can’t be put at additional danger of lengthier pricey lockdowns due to the misguided actions of some.”

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