Presenting comments from members of Parliament regarding the Freedom Protest in Wellington.
Christopher Luxon, National Party Leader, Press Release 17/2/22:
“The gathering at Parliament includes people showing a flagrant disregard for the law – blocking off streets, using drugs and abusing Wellingtonians. Seeing children used as tools to spread misinformation has been heartbreaking.
“This needs to stop. National is the party of law and order and I will not be meeting with the protesters while this behaviour continues.
“Today I have signed a letter with other Party leaders requesting the protestors become peaceful and law abiding. But frankly, a letter is not sufficient – we need a clear de-escalation strategy from the Government.
“For our part, National is willing to engage with protesters’ representatives should they become peaceful and law abiding, clear Wellington’s streets, and stop their abusive behaviour – and I would encourage other Parties to do the same.
“National is strongly pro-vaccination, and there is much misinformation being spread by the protestors that I completely disagree with.”
-There’s only one tool being used to spread misinformation here Mr. Luxon, and that’s you. “Should they become peaceful…” Try taking a walk around the camp. It doesn’t get much more peaceful.
Michael Wood, Deputy House speaker, Parliamentary address, 16/2/22:
“The words I say now I say with some precision and I say really carefully because I think we need to take great care with this,”
“Out the front of this place, there are people who I think we all feel for. There are some people who are confused, there are some people who are scared, there are some people who have been manipulated by an avalanche of misinformation.
“There are some people who have been hurt over the past couple of years and they’re lashing out.
“We feel for those people. But underneath all of that, there is a river of filth.
“There is a river of violence and menace. There is a river of anti-Semitism. There is a river of Islamophobia. There is a river of threats to people who work in this place and our staff.”
“I would say that there is a river of genuine fascism in parts of the event that we see out the front of this Parliament today,” he said. “I just urge colleagues in this House – decent and honourable members of the centre-right parliamentary parties in this Parliament – that a lot is actually on them to not give succour and comfort to an emergent and dangerous far-right movement. I just ask those members to reflect upon that.”
-The only river of filth here is spewing from your mouth Mr. Wood.
And last words go to the lovely Jacinda Ardern, who regards the legal protest as “Illegal” and refuses to meet the protestors. Winston Peters reminded Ardern about her meeting with protestors at Ihumatao in 2019, resulting in a $30 million agreement overseen by Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson.
“The PM just said the protest at Parliament is illegal because they are setting up camp and that MPs shouldn’t get involved and leave it up to police,” …At Ihumatao they set up camp on privately owned land and she covertly sent in her ministers to negotiate…” (Winston Peters)
Ardern’s elaborate response: “I do not consider this to be the same,”
–I have to say, somewhat begrudgingly, that Peters is the only one with his sights on the target. Ardern is as vacuous, hypocritical and redundant as ever.
These protestors have shown more inclusivity, love, resilience and organisation in ten days than you and your government have shown in two terms at the helm my dear Ms. Ardern And they’ve achieved a lot more in the process.
I think the river of filth is within that house. Wood needs to look at definitions of fascism, more applicable to the government than to the beautiful souls camped outside.
Correct Janine. They peer through their curtains at the protestors and gossip about what goes on down there, but not one of them has the courage to go down among them and talk to them. Bloody cowards.