A Very Dark Day for New Zealand
Jane Morgan for FreeNZ
On Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022 I witnessed events that I never, even in my wildest nightmares, would imagine happening in my beloved country.
I had joined my first ever protest almost three weeks before after seeing some very disturbing footage of violence from police against peaceful individuals who had gathered at Parliament in Wellington merely to ask to be heard by the Government, and who were being increasingly hurt by its ongoing now seemingly meaningless Covid 19 mandates.
These were thousands of people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, masked and unmasked, young and old, from all socioeconomic groups, races and professions, many of whom have lost businesses, livelihoods, their homes and their health, mental and physical (some from severe vaccine injuries and ongoing side effects) after two years of lockdowns and traffic light systems and different phases of each - rules that kept changing and morphing. Rules that may have been appropriate in the initial days, weeks and months of Covid 19 and Delta but now, with the mild Omicron when most other countries have dropped mandates and let life go back to some semblance of normal, seem nonsensical.
All they wanted was to be heard by their leader and caretaker and an end to the mandates that were causing more harm than good. They wanted a dialogue.
On the third day of the protest, Thursday, February 10, I was watching an independent media live feed of the protest when police moved in. They formed lines and for hours and hours brutally barged into people who were merely trying to stand their ground or “hold the line”, intent on knocking people to the ground then dragging them out and brutally assaulting them despite most not resisting arrest. Men, women and a 14-year-old girl. None were safe.
As a result of that absolutely uncalled for brutality, I, and many, many others, dropped everything and got to Wellington to support our brothers and sisters, with a huge number of people supporting us from across the country.
But what I saw that day did not prepare me for the events of Wednesday, March 2.
After February 10, and after the police’s actions had come to the attention of people around the world, despite our mainstream media’s alternative take on the “violent” protesters, the police backed off.
There was still a notable police presence but they were peaceful and respectful. Some even began connecting with us.
I had to empathise with them when that weekend they were standing guarding Parliament’s forecourt. Sunday, February 13 was the second wettest day on record in Wellington and the winds reached up to 150km an hour.
That night, a police officer was handing out lollies to everyone on the front line. Those poor policemen and women also had to endure our esteemed Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard’s childish and embarrassing behaviour of blasting at high volumes from speakers on the balcony the most annoying (at least to me) songs on the planet, on repeat, for two days and two nights. And yet the protesters stayed. Their cause was that important to them and many actually enjoyed the music and got their boogie on. At least the police were spared the sprinklers that Mallard turned on the people in the middle of a hurricane and in spite of a sprinkler ban.
Despite what mainstream media reported in the coming days, police were interviewed and said the protesters were orderly, were not obstructing businesses in the surrounding area, were friendly to everyone and the grounds were clean and sanitary.
A number of officers on the forecourt were playing rock, paper, scissors with kids and adults, their toes were tapping along to the music being played and one officer I saw was full-on dancing with a joyful teenage girl.
During some of the speeches made pointing out the current ineffectiveness of the mandates, some officers were nodding in agreement.
We were standing with and for everyone, including the police. Some of us were police who had been mandated out of their jobs because they did not feel comfortable taking an experimental injection. Funnily enough, about halfway through the protest, a challenge of the mandates by the police and defence force was upheld in the High Court, with Justice Francis Cooke determining that staff being ordered to be vaccinated or lose their jobs was not a “reasonably justified” breach of the Bill of Rights.
Back at Parliament, discussions between police bosses and protest leaders led to a promise from police that if cars blocking a couple of roads were moved, they would not deny access to the protest’s food and necessity deliveries or the truck evacuating and cleaning the portaloos.
Jacinda Ardern, her Government and the National Party opposition leader Christopher Luxon still refused to engage with the people. Luxon actually labelled us as “filth”. This could have been a real opportunity for Luxon to step up and step out and stand for our people. He may have gathered a real following had he done so. But he chose to follow Adern’s lead and so has also lost the confidence, respect and the vote of a vast number of Kiwis.
In the next few days, breaking their promise, police came in and blocked access for the portaloo evacuation truck. But the protest remained peaceful. Yes there were a few upset, angry individuals but they were swiftly calmed down or removed by protest security. The ingenuity of Kiwis came to the fore and plumbers, builders and engineers amongst the protesters built toilets and plumbed them into the sewerage system. Of course mainstream media reported that we were flushing waste into the ocean.
On February 28 the leader of the Maori Government was contacted by the Police negotiating team asking for an audience to resolve the situation at Parliament.
Arikinui Ripekatangi on behalf of Pau Arahi Tumuaki, Maori Government Aotearoa Nu Tireni writes:
“On 1 March 2022 the Maori Government engaged in good-faith discussion with representatives of the protest in Wellington and members of the NZ Police negotiation team. An agreement was made to hold a hui over the weekend of 4/5/6 March 2022 whereby the 2 sides could discuss reasonable, practicable, steps to achieve a peaceable resolution.
Part of the agreement was that no hostile action would be undertaken and the email confirming this was sent on behalf of Maori Government to the NZP on 1 March 2022 at 22:50 pm.”
Overnight, however, police removed the toilets that had been built on-site and trashed and removed the generously donated showers which had been inspected and approved by Wellington City Council.
And then they descended on the people.
Hundreds of them, many in full riot gear. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster has since stated that police had no weapons to use against the people.
That is an outright lie. I saw numerous people pepper-sprayed, beaten with batons, shot with rubber bullets, punched and kicked, sprayed with fire extinguishers and high-pressure water.
One lone woman standing on her own doing nothing was repeatedly beaten by a police officer with his shield while she was screaming
“I’ve done nothing wrong! Why are you doing this?”
Another woman, also independent, doing nothing, was head-butted to the ground.
Yet another was standing alone between two vehicles at least 6 metres away from the police when three of them rushed her and threw her to the ground.
A young man was arrested, kneeling still on the ground while two police officers (and I’m getting sick of calling them officers as they do not deserve the title) continuously punched and kicked him. When another officer saw it being filmed he stood in front of the camera to obstruct the view.
An elderly man who attempted to assist another woman being beaten by an officer with his shield was repeatedly punched in the head by other officers and fell to the ground.
This is just what I saw from my vantage point. I hate to think about what happened elsewhere on the grounds, although I have seen live footage of more violence by police from others.
Police spraying people with fire extinguishers and taking over the fire trucks’ high-pressure hoses and turning them on the people, police with what look like screwdrivers in hand and knuckle dusters under their gloves. I have these pictures and videos.
And all the time Trevor Mallard stood on Parliament balcony with mainstream media, watching.
There were also other troubling live streams. Of agitators starting a tent fire with a gas canister, while a line of police suspiciously stood on watching and did nothing. These agitators were fully masked up and with hoodies or balaclavas. People who had never been seen in the protest grounds prior. Plants? Paid agitators? Who knows.
So what changed overnight?
Lawyer Sue Grey addressed protestors’ prior to the raid as she had heard there was the possibility of action, she questioned if Police Commissioner Andrew Coster was threatened with losing his job. We can’t confirm that.
The Maori Government’s letter went on to say this:
“On the early morning of March 2 when the commissioner ordered police to use force, this was in direct breach of this agreement, an act of bad faith and a violation of their oath to protect the people.
Maori Government strongly condemns the actions of the police against the demonstrably peaceful protesters. These actions have brought shame to our nation.”
I have also been in contact with a young man who posted on his Facebook page that he was in Wellington for work and staying at a hotel a number of the police were staying at (he says well over 100). He said:
“Having dinner in the restaurant I overheard a group (of police) talking and laughing about the Government giving them permission to use full force on the protestors and how they had planted infiltrators and given them ammunition to cause trouble to allow the police to use any force needed, joking about how they hoped not to get hit by their own bricks and couldn’t wait to let loose with the pepper spray. And that their bonus would be worth it.”
He said attempted to contact a number of mainstream media outlets to get the word out but said they did not want to know.
His comments have yet to be confirmed. And yet the police the next day did not act to serve and protect their citizens as they are sworn to do.
They acted like a mob of hired thugs.
Jacinda Adern’s response to the police actions was a kick in the guts for protesters and our supporters who had witnessed the carnage. Calling the police heroes and giving them her deep admiration and thanks. “You have been calm but resolute in trying to bring this occupation to a conclusion. It has come at great risk to your personal safety. Thank you for putting others above yourselves. “ If you’d like to read the rest of the speech you can find it on her Facebook page but I can’t write more of it without wanting to vomit.
The next sucker punch came from Police Commissioner Andrew Coster who in February called out the government for not engaging with protestors saying “The Government has dug itself into a hole by refusing to meet” with the protestors and admitted, “It shouldn’t have got to this”.
Next minute he’s saying “the front line officers did an incredible job in very difficult conditions.”
NZ Police Association president Chris Cahill claimed 40 police were injured with 6 in hospital,
“With significant but not serious injuries....mostly bumps and scratches.”
There was no mention by Ardern, police or mainstream media of the over 100 people who were arrested and their injuries. I personally know that the elderly gentleman who attempted to defend a woman and was punched to the ground suffered a broken hip.
No mention of the female innocent bystander beaten by police with shields suffering broken ribs.
And no report of the 4-year-old girl in Wellington Hospital ICU after she was trampled by police who threw a gas canister into the tent in which she was sleeping with her mother at 7.45 that morning.
And the countless others left beaten and bleeding, for just being there.
Scott Nash former Minister of Police called the protest illegal. He said, “Police did an amazing job yesterday in restoring civil order to Parliament. Finally, this illegal protest is over. As a former minister of police, I know how hard our men and women on the front line work to keep us all safe. I have immense respect for the work they do. Yesterday was no different.”
And yet Speaker Harrison ruled in 1999 that “It is an important aspect of our democratic society that people should be able to assemble peaceably in order to express their opinions on a subject. Perhaps the most favoured venue for demonstrations of a political nature is Parliament grounds.”
David Anderson, a concerned citizen, responded on Facebook:
“Stuart Nash the statue in the photo is of my great, great grandfather Richard Seddon... these grounds were set aside expressly for the purpose of public gatherings, announcements, ceremonies, celebrations and protests. Do NOT tell me or any other Kiwi that we cannot peacefully protest on these public grounds whenever we choose, EVER!’
One of the most heartbreaking non-violent things I witnessed that day was a middle-aged man who broke down in tears, sobbing that the government could not even be bothered coming to speak with us.
In the last few days, I have spoken with friends and acquaintances who are and were police who have been incredulous by the actions of their fellow officers that day. They told me that they were never trained in this way.
One veteran cop listed his Police long service medal on TradeMe saying:
“After 17 years dedicated frontline service in the New Zealand Police, my employment was terminated on 8 February 2022 because I would not submit to the vaccination mandate.
A successful judicial review has since found the mandate imposed was unlawful.
Today (Wednesday 2nd March 2022) I witnessed scenes at the Wellington protest via live feed.
What I saw disturbed me more than anything I have witnessed during my 17 years of service.
I am so ashamed.
This medal was awarded to me three years ago. It has never been worn and no longer has any value to me, hence the $1 reserve.
Although my future is uncertain, I know my days of serving the community in this role is over”.
TradeMe took the advert down after two days.
Further evidence that Jacinda cares more for others than her countrymen is encapsulated in this post on her Facebook page.
In response to the crisis in Ukraine, Adern’s proudly posted on her Facebook page that Nanaia Mahuta Minister of Foreign Affairs “speaks powerfully at the UN Human Rights Council on behalf of all New Zealanders.” She said, and I quote: “There is no victor in unjustified and unprovoked aggression. We must be clear. The Russian government has repeatedly ignored opportunities for diplomacy, negotiation, de-escalation and has instead chosen aggression. We must not let diplomacy fail. We must persevere in pursuits of an outcome that prevents further suffering.”
But what about us, your own people, who you seem hellbent on stripping of our rights and freedom?
Perhaps the most sickening thing I saw was Jacinda finally emerging the day after we were all so violently removed and stating her concern over the state of the lawn and slide.
She values these above her people’s physical, financial, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.
Ardern and her policies’ actions speak volumes. Our Prime minister and her government, elected by the people, for the people, do not care about the people. Her police henchmen are no longer here to protect and serve the people.
“Be kind” has become “be obedient or else”.
The only thing our revered leader cares about is pushing her globalist, tyrannical, communist one-world new order upon us.
We have been lied to, coerced, censored, gagged, suppressed, bullied and now beaten and bloodied.
But you will not break us. We may be down for a count, but we are not out. And we will keep rising until corruption and arrogance are purged from this Parliament, its leaders and culpable politicians, the police, the courts and the mainstream media - for you, MSM, are complicit in these crimes against our humanity.
So where do we, the people, go from here?
We rest, replenish, regenerate and regroup.
Peacefully protesting. We win this by narrowing the divide that she has caused between us. We win this with love and support for each other.
One of the most powerful things we can do is learn the law. I suggest you watch the interview with Karen Brewer. And write a letter, an actual letter, not an email or text or FB message. An actual letter to be delivered to one of the Governor General’s homes in Wellington or Auckland, stating that we no longer have faith in our government, demanding its dissolution and a writ for a new election.
This cannot be ignored.
If we do not continue this fight, if we give up now, Wednesday 2nd March will not be the darkest day. We will see many, many more, far darker ones.
Hard to believe NZ outstripped Canada in government's tyrannical approach to peaceful protestors. Hope you all keep up the fight for individual freedom and choice.
Cried watching this and we must Standup altogether to stop this corruption as it will only get darker for sure Thankyou so much you are my hero’s 😞❤️❤️❤️