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Video: NZ Police Assault Woman Protester At TPPA Protest
Eyewitness accounts state: New Zealand Police were forced onto a defensive footing Saturday after protesters responded with anger at how Police pushed into the centre of their protest, pushing people over, elbowing them, first outside Sky City convention centre, and later near the Auckland Town Hall.
Video above courtesy of ActionNZMedia via Youtube.
Eyewitness Linda said: “About 3 minutes after protesters moved toward the door of the hotel, a police officer violently shoved a protester into the packed crowd, greatly provoking the protesters. This officer was then joined by security guards who started shoving the protesters and knocking them down. One protester can be seen with his hands up in the air, still being assaulted by a security guard.” For more see the comments section below.
At the later event Police singled out a young woman, one officer had allegedly punched her in the face knocking her down where she was semi unconscious for a time.
Images above and below: courtesy of @AAMCommons.
@AAMCommons witnessed the assault and writes: “Watching NZ news, I was witness 2 what started “violence” at #TPP march, a punch to the face of a young girl by him (the Police officer with the helmet).”
Protesters then reacted ending with the officer losing his footing. Other Police officers then formed a defensive ring around the woman and once she was able to walk they marched her out of the area.
Eyewitness @AAMCommons wrote on Twitter: “… this guy (pictured in helmet) took a perverse pleasure in his provocation.
“Security and cops came in with clear intent to provoke. Protesters were against window of Sky City… clearly couldn’t move any further. They obviously decided to move them out, protestors held the line…
“This guy (Police offer was) sent in with helmet, he started pushing hard out, protestors pushed back. When he eventually punched a young girl, the boys holding the line reacted. Another brawl ensued once the box’s were lit, not sure if that girl stomped head. Protest dispersed and a few stragglers headed… o Aotea Sq & ppl were heading home. Police came & brutally ambushed this girl,” @AAMCommons wrote.
Updated: Video & Report – New Zealand Police issued the following statement: “A crowd numbering around 150+ have tried to force entry to sky city but were blocked by a small number of police supported by Sky City personnel.
“Extra policing resources were sent to the City area to support our staff. The protestors started a fire in the middle of a nearby road. They tried to feed the fire with cardboard boxes.
“Police staff moved in to prevent escalation and two officers were separated, attacked and kicked numerous times. Fire appliances were called to the scene to help.
“The crowd moved off through CBD streets to Aotea Square. Two arrests were made. One of these arrests was a female that stomped on a constables head. The constable is currently at Auckland Hospital having his neck checked out.
“Police were extremely disappointed at the reckless actions of some of the protestors, their actions meant that normal police resources throughout Auckland were not available to attend normal calls for service.
@AAMCommons: Officer C159 here was the one who openly claimed to be in charge of the arrest / ambush at Aotea Sq.
But Global Peace and Justice spokesperson John Minto said the policing of the TPP protest in Auckland on Saturday was provocative and plain stupid.
“As the protest gathering was preparing to leave Skycity the most senior police officer intervened to stop a symbolic act of burning a number of cardboard petition boxes.
“With tensions running high after the refusal of TPP organisers to accept the 750,000 international petition against the negotiations the police action added insult to injury.
“It was unnecessary, highly provocative and it was inevitable a scuffle would break out with several people injured.
“To make matters worse this same officer repeated the stupidity with the very provocative arrest of a young woman in Aotea Square a short time later.
“Another scrum was inevitable with further injuries.
John Minto, image courtesy of Unite Union..
“Today’s policing was way up there among the most stupid and provocative we’ve seen in 35 years of being part of various protests.
“I’ve never seen one police officer cause so much unnecessary trouble for themselves as well as the protest group. The police in the protest deserved much better leadership today,” John Minto said.
Video stream footage courtesy of @OccupyEye via Ustream.
Also Click Here For Video: Citizen-A TPP Special with Martyn Bomber Bradbury, Mike Dolan from Teamsters Union & Professor Jane Kelsey discuss the following issues:
Issue 1: Can Tim Groser negotiate in NZ’s interests when he’s applying for the top job at the WTO?
Issue 2: John Key says TPP will make us $3billion, wikileaks cables show the NZ negotiator complaining to the US that we get nothing out of the deal – who is right?
Issue 3: How does an unprecedented lock out from the conference of NGOs, unions and community groups impacted by the TPP bode for democracy issues?
[...] the 6pm TV news), NewstalkZB, Stuff. John Minto is critical of stupid and provocative policing. Video in support of allegations that a woman protester was punched in the face by a police [...]
Thats pretty much what happened. The helmet cop looked like a motorcycle traffic patrol officer because I saw a police motorbike parked in the direction from where he violently elbowed his way through the crowd, including an elbow in the face to me. I don’t believe the helmet cop was sent in, there probably wasn’t much happening on the motorway so, hearing the radio chatter, (on his own initiative probably) he thought he would come to bang a few heads together. When he charged in, the police cordon was firm but restrained, then helmet cop came in and inflamed the situation. His own superior should have restrained him, but in the absence of firm leadership some young testosterone pumped protesters took him down. I didn’t see whether the young (45kg-50kg)woman was involved in working the rogue over, but the way the cops later assaulted Aotea Square was way over the top and I think they grabbed the wrong person. Yes all that show of force for the arrest of one skinny girl – disgraceful.
Interesting coincidence that both incidents which became inflamed involved motorcycle officer / officers – not sure if it was the same guy – decked out in helmet and protective clothing. The incident I witnessed occurred at the fromt line / window of Skycity where a girl was assaulted by the helmeted cop. This was not the girl who was later arrested, but did result in her friends who had first been intentionally worked up retaliating.
Then the second incident occurred, also with a helmeted officer, possibly the same guy, can’t confirm as I saw it from a distance. But it is interesting that none of the other security or police were in this gear, but both times protestors were brought to a state of frustration, it was by an officer protective gear.
The arrest was later at Aotea Sq. I heard a lone officer communicating from the Square relaying that all was calm, only about a dozen people left. I thought he was just relaying that it was finished, so headed for Queen St. I arrived to a line of cars pulling up and police setting about their ambush from all sides of the Square, at which point they made the arrest of the young woman.
This is the shove that started it all, right at the very beginning…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ad6VAmC-IGA&feature=youtu.be
About 3 minutes after protesters moved toward the door of the hotel, a police officer violently shoved a protester into the packed crowd, greatly provoking the protesters. This officer was then joined by security guards who started shoving the protesters and knocking them down. One protester can be seen with his hands up in the air, still being assaulted by a security guard. The protesters are controlled and disciplined, though agitated – one protester is heard on camera collecting flags and other dangerous objects and having them passed backwards, out of harms way.
Still, the protesters remained peaceful, so after about 8 minutes (in other video), a police officer was sent into the crowd wearing a motorcycle helmet to violently assault the protesters in the hope of sparking a riot. He did this twice, and both times he failed. He hurt a lot of protesters.
There is footage for all of this.
Here is a very thorough, accurate account of police provocation and assaults that occurred, this information and livestream footage was supplied by @OccupyEye, a professional Livestreamer who came over from the U.S. to cover the TPPA protest.
Analysis of Occupy Eye’s Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oFhFYTz3yeM
00:01 video begins at Aotea
00:10 crowd peacefully marching
00:14 protesters on megaphone leading chants
00:30 protest signs
00:40 approach to sky city
00:55 arrived at sky city
01:15 professor Jane Kelsey speaking
01:45 petition boxes stacked together on federal street
02:20 crowd singing, chanting
03:10 children present
03:20 crowd at main entrance of sky city
03:40 security guards begin pushing crowd. crowd boos
them.
04:00 police begin bodily grabbing & throwing protesters
04:23 security guard pushes protesters. protester raises
his hands in the air to show he is not a threat. Security guard responds by pushing him again, and again, while protesters chant “shame, shame, shame”
04:30 large security guard begins bodily tackling protesters
05:00 security guard (supervisor?) watches the fracas, looking sad and anxious.
05:18 police officer (or security? hard to tell these days) grabs protester by the throat and pushes him
06:00 fire in petition boxes started (by cigarette butt)
We are told that the horn sound is from a bicycle ridden by the girl who was later blamed by the national media and Police as being responsible for the violence.
06:15 Motorbike Cop tumbles to the ground while struggling with various protesters. Freeze this frame and you will see the bicycle chick grinds to a halt just shy of his position, ostensibly to avoid running into him.
06:17 the front wheel of the shows the bicycle and rider being pushed over sideways
06:19 Motorbike cop indiscriminately kicking people, even those who are trying to help him up
06:27 A protester holds Motorbike Cops hand, allowing him to turn over and then stand
06:33 A police officer throws a right hook into the face of a protester
06:52 Motorbike Cop is escorted away by police
07:55 Many in the crowd march back to Aotea Square.
08:04 An elderly gentleman on the sidewalk applauds the marchers
08:30 Marchers are moving freely and peacefully.
BREAK: “Just minutes after the protesters returned to the park, a large number of police ensued. They began making an arrest.”
08:49 The bicycle girl is being pulled by the hair, the shoulders, the upper arms and then wrists, by several police officers, while she squeals in fright and pain.
09:00 Her arms are pulled into a position that could easily dislocate her shoulders.
09:15 A nearby protester raises his hands to show he is not a threat yet at 09:17 is pushed to the ground from behind by another police officer
09:48 A protester is tightly gripped and pulled away by two officers while saying “don’t hurt her, don’t hurt her…they’re breaking her f***ing arms”
09:57 Yet another protester has been pushed and pulled so many times that his t-shirt has nearly been torn off him
10:02 Despite her being already immobilised and unmoving, a police officer twice her size wraps his legs and arms around the girls body, while other officers do God only knows what to her.
10:10 A protester yells “Don’t! She’s a female!”
10:15 The girl is still completely still and unmoving, yet more male officers surround her on all sides.
10:20 Members of the media are pushed away and prevented from clearly filming what is happening to the girl.
10:24 Officers begin to make a wall with their bodies, preventing witnesses from seeing what is happening under the crush of police officers.
10:36 Occupy Eye reports that the girl went limp, possibly from fainting, so police lift her by her handcuffed wrists and drag her across the pavement.
10:40 Protesters cry “Shame!”, “you’re f***ing hurting her!” and “get her off the concrete!”
10:48 Apparently aware they are angering the crowd with their treatment of the girl, an officer picks up her tiny body and carries her across the Square.
11:00 Police lock arms into an “amoeba formation” surrounding the girl and bizarrely walking in circles across the grass
11:11 An officer shoves the protester who had already been knocked to the ground earlier. The protesters hands remain at his sides.
11:14 Despite the protester not retaliating, the police officer again shoves the protester – this time in the throat.
11:17 Officer turns to the right and shoves another protester.
11:20-11:40 more protesters bodily shoved by multiple cops.
11:44 The girl is walked away by a dozen cops & her distinctive appearance (she was wearing a Joker-sidekick costume and had platinum blonde hair) is viewable for the first time.
11:55 Infuriated by the wanton display of police aggression, the crowd begins to jeer the retreating officers, calling them “Brain Dead” for using dozens of police to arrest one girl.
12:00-12:10 The crowd becomes so angry that they demand the officers leave the square.
12:35 A woman on the loudhailer tells the police that they have violated their code of conduct and overstepped their jurisdiction.
Video ends.
Aware that they have bitten off more than they can proverbially chew, police stand-down and exit Aotea Square. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya7Ye4uDwpE&feature=player_embedded
For more info including interviews with eye-witnesses taken immediately following the arrest at Aotea Square please visit http://occupysavvy.com/2012/12/08/d8-tppa-shutdown-protesters-refuse-to-be-ignored/
The most telling part of the events for me as an eye-witness was after the police stood down and left the Square.
Within seconds of their departure, the tension completely dissipated from the crowd, and all was again peaceful in Aotea Square.
Proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was the Police who were responsible for the agitation of the crowd, not the other way around.
[...] Updated: Video & Report – NZ Police Assault Woman Protester At TPPA Protest [...]
My name is Sarah Minchington I am a New Zealander. I am embarrassed by the above videos. While I was at work earning my wage a few of people whom I can only guess receive a benefit of some kind have the time to go to a park or hotel entrance and yell and scream about a meeting. I get you all would say it’s in the interest of the whole country however as I watched these all I am thinking is what gives you the right to act like this is public. Yes we live in a democratic country however how is that kind of behaviour doing any good to anyone. The language through out the video from the protesters again how are people meant to help your cause. It just looked like a bunch of unemployed people with nothing better to do. The leadership in these types of things must understand that true change does not happen by 50/100 just standing around shouting and shouting and pushing the lines of what most of us would call the norm. The New Zealand Police have a job to do and if that is removing people from a protest then that’s what has to happen because the street do not belong to you guys. There are other that have the right to walk around that area and frankly not everyone wants to hear you guys. And when you push and push and shout and shout well you really should expect to be moved on and if you don’t move on then you will be moved by force. If you don’t like the rule in New Zealand move somewhere where the rules suit you better and if you really want to make real change get involved with the system and make changes from the inside.
But my biggest problem while watching the videos is this………well you were out there making all that noise wasting the time of the Police do you release that there may have been a woman, a child being beaten that needed a police office there, a assault case that needs to be investigated, houses are being broken into, cars being stolen, kids walking the street that should be school making trouble, basically do you understand how many other things these guys need to do and your just wasting these guys time. You do not have to like the Police but in New Zealand we have a Police Force and if you think their job is easy why don’t you try it. You deal with drunk people at 4am, going to a domestic for the forth time to see the same drunk woman, covered in blood, kids in the house and the woman will not lay chargers because she loves him. How about you deal with that kind of crap every week and see how you like it.
We all have the right protest but still there are rules stick to them. The rest of us have to stick to the rule so should you guys. I have put my name so not to be just another opinionated bitch hiding behide a website.
[...] Video: NZ Police Assault Woman Protester At TPPA Protest http://livenews.co.nz/2012/12/video-nz-police-assault-woman-protester-at-ttpa-protest/ [...]
[...] Video: NZ Police Assault Woman Protester At TPPA Protest http://livenews.co.nz/2012/12/video-nz-police-assault-woman-protester-at-ttpa-protest/ [...]
Hi Sarah, Your comments sadden me. I was one of the peaceful protesters, I didn’t shout I didn’t yell or scream. But, I did get a lot of bruises. I sat down and was man handled by zealous rent-a-cops who were working at the direction of sky city. I was should barged and punched whilst seated. I did resort to grabbing a tie of one of the individuals to pull him to my face and remind him “I am a human being – and yes I do have the right to peaceful protest”. The intervention of his boss stopped him from kicking me directly – but when she had moved away he decided he could kick me as much as possible, to this I undid his shoe laces and asked him to bend down again – his boss saw me and removed him from my area. So to the rules Sarah, I am able to protest peacefully – that was not followed I was kick and punched repeatedly whilst I was seated – In plan view of police. And may I say I had my back to him for the majority of that time. So he was a coward with the support of the police to violate my right to protest peacefully.
Later on in the piece, I was talking generally to people and standing around – When a cop in a helmet decided to hit a lass I had not been talking to not 5 minutes before. His action was to walk up to her – scrag and punch her. This is called “provocation” or “assault” under the law and is once again outside the rules – indeed Sarah I was shocked at this point by such a violent act by policeman to a women protesting peacefully – should I have been? So rules are we get to protest and yelling shouting etc… is part of that process. But the reality on this day, those doing a peaceful protest got you hit by either rent-a-cops from sky city or bashed by police.
Lets go further about the police. You say the protesters wasted the police time and caused a mess. Lets talk about the arrest in Aotea square. The march had ended and a few people were having a drink of water, and a talking after the event – when John said we should move on, and go home. At this point the police entered the square in a wedge formation – The lead cops was screaming we need to disperse and that he was going to arrest someone. At this point he jumped on the young women you see in the video and photos. And I do mean jump on – a 40+ year old man pounced on her and smacked her to the ground. The second cop on the scene informed her she was being arrested for kicking a cop in the head. It was my understanding that the rules state the person being arrested must be made aware of the charge they face. Indeed to say we are going to arrest someone then jump onto the smallest women in the group is an unusual arrest to say the least. Possibly a violent violation of the law to some lawyers or indeed to many lay people.
Coupled with this more police arrived in the square and formed a line. So an arrest via due process could have taken two police, clear heads and not been provocative- if done some time later. Instead at least sixty police were in Aotea square to arrest a slip of a women. The cops deliberately attempted to bait the protesters. I’m sure that “in-sighting a riot” is a serious charge and that police were attempting to do just that – that is outside the rules Sarah. But our police wouldn’t break the rules would they Sarah? Why was it that women were the targets of police violence? Why were men making the arrests and male cops doing the punching? Do we have a culture of sexism in our police force?
I’m happy to follow the rules Sarah. However, I believe that police deliberately targeted women to get a response from protesters. And to the protesters credit they did not take the bait. That I now hear that the US consulate approved these actions, sadden me even more. Will the police who bashed and punched these women be on charges? Sarah, I feel very sorry for the police women in this country – there male colleges acted in such a violent manner – they have very little power to stop or even comment about. I welcome more police women and maybe then we will have the right to peaceful protest.
I was part of what I expected was to be a peaceful protest but it seemed to be led by extremists who purposely ramped up the anger perhaps because no-one was taking any notice of them. They screamed into their microphones – so close to their mouths that their words could not be made out. They gave the impression of professional hate protesters for any and every cause. What words I could make out were the standard protest of inappropriate comments – nothing to do with this cause. Shame on them for enciting the reaction of the police.
[...] Video: NZ Police Assault Woman Protester At TPPA Protest http://livenews.co.nz/2012/12/video-nz-police-assault-woman-protester-at-ttpa-protest/ [...]