One rule for some protesters, another for the rest
Authorities shut down the March for New Zealand protest
It seems in New Zealand these days, it’s perfectly fine to protest, so long as your cause is one that officials and the media approve of. If you’re waving a Palestinian flag, blocking streets, or storming through university campuses, you’ll likely be praised for your passion and your right to be heard. But if your protest happens to be about mass immigration, government overreach, or anything that challenges the political narrative, suddenly it’s a problem.
That’s exactly what’s happened with Brian Tamaki’s planned Labour Weekend “March for New Zealand.” The protest, which was set to highlight concerns about mass immigration and its growing impact on infrastructure, housing, and law and order, was shut down by officials who say the organisers didn’t meet the “criteria” for access to the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
I’m not a fan of blocking roads or motorways either. People just want to get to where they’re going. Authorities have shown before that protests can be managed sensibly, allowing people to express their views without major disruption. When it suits them, they’ve made it work. We’ve seen pro-Palestinian marches cross bridges, climate activists take over city streets, and treaty-related hīkoi given police escorts to ensure their voices are heard.
So why not here?
No matter what you think of Brian Tamaki or Destiny Church, the right to protest shouldn’t depend on who you are or what you believe in. The “March for New Zealand” wasn’t some spur-of-the-moment stunt, it had been planned months in advance. Tamaki even said he postponed it to avoid inconveniencing holiday travellers. You can’t get more reasonable than that.
It’s hard not to notice the double standard. When it’s a fashionable cause, the rules bend. But when it’s a protest that challenges government policy, like mass immigration, which is having real, tangible effects on housing, wages, and even our courts being clogged with foreign-born offenders, suddenly it’s too dangerous, too disruptive, or too politically inconvenient.
You don’t have to like Tamaki to see that something’s not right. The right to protest doesn’t belong only to those who tick the approved box. If we’re going to pride ourselves on being a democracy, then that principle has to apply to everyone, even the ones who make people uncomfortable.
It’s worth remembering that just last year, Toitū Te Tiriti was allowed to march across the very same Auckland Harbour Bridge without issue…