Thousands of pro-Palestine supporters have marched through Auckland’s CBD this morning.
The ‘March for Humanity’ was originally meant to cross Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, but forecasts of strong winds forced a last-minute route change.
Protesters began in Aotea Square this morning, heading down Queen St and ending in Victoria Park this afternoon.
According to many of those who attended previous protests over the last two years, today was the largest turnout they’d seen.
Police estimated 20,000 people participated in protest activity today.
For some, it was their first time ever protesting – one woman telling 1News what she’d seen over the last two years has compelled her to get out and take a stand.
Police said officers were deployed along the route and advised the public to expect delays.
A small group of counter-protesters had gathered at the intersection of Queen St and Victoria St West.
Why rangatahi joined pro-Palestinian march through Auckland – Watch on TVNZ+
The protesters left Victoria Park this afternoon with no incidents of note reported, police said.
“Police thank organisers and participants for heeding advice on the change of route for the day, to keep participants safe, and for creating a peaceful event on the day.”
The ‘March for Humanity’ was originally meant to cross Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, but strong winds forced a last-minute route change. (Source: 1News)
Auckland Transport reported that more than 40 bus routes were detoured throughout the morning and early afternoon.
The event was organised by Aotearoa for Palestine, a Palestinian- and Māori-led group supporting “the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom, justice, and dignity in their own land”.
Yesterday, March for Humanity spokesperson Nadine Mortaja told TVNZ’s Breakfast that huge numbers of people were expected at today’s event, which would also call for sanctions on Israel.
“After seeing Sydney and Brisbane, the amount of people that showed up there were tens of thousands, so I think we are expecting a very big amount of people to show up.
“We know people that are coming from Australia, coming from Hamilton and Christchurch and Wellington, so a lot of people are going to show up for the March for Humanity.”
She said people realise the situation in Gaza was “desperate”.
“We want that message to be heard loud and clear,” she said.
Labour foreign affairs spokesperson Peeni Henare said MPs were participating in the march.
“Palestine needs our action. Christopher Luxon’s Government can and must do more to end the unfolding genocide in Gaza – including immediate sanctions,” he said.
“Every day we are confronted with horrific images of a humanitarian crisis on a scale not seen for generations. New Zealanders are horrified, and rightly so.”
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in August that the Government would be carefully weighing up its position over the recognition of a Palestinian state over the following month.
“New Zealand has been clear or some time that our recognition of a Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if,” Peters said at the time.
“Cabinet will take a formal decision in September over whether New Zealand should recognise a state of Palestine at this juncture – and if so, when and how.”
He acknowledged that there were a “broad range of strongly held views within our Government, Parliament and indeed New Zealand society over the question of recognition of a Palestinian state”.
“It is only right that this complicated issue be approached calmly, cautiously and judiciously. Over the next month, we look forward to canvassing this broad range of views before taking a proposal to Cabinet.”
A spokesperson for The New Zealand Jewish Council told Re: News it supported people’s right to protest but did not support “antisemitic” messaging that sometimes accompanies these protests.
It said there needed to be a clear distinction between what the Israeli government is doing and being Jewish – “as they are not the same thing” and “we agree that it is valid to question the Israeli government’s approach towards Gaza”.
It also claimed Gaza had become a “trendy” thing to protest and questioned why other conflicts in Congo or Ukraine have not gained the same amount of attention.
