Police defend actions at demonstration

Police have defended their actions after a demonstration turned violent outside the Labour Party conference in Takapuna on Saturday morning.
View video

They struggled with the screaming demonstrators and arrested three of them.

On Saturday night there were claims a union delegate at the conference had assaulted a protester and an incident was screened on television news.

The protest against last month's anti-terrorism police raids had been noisy but peaceful until one man apparently tried to break through the solid line of police who were stopping a crowd of about 150 surging onto the forecourt of the Bruce Mason Centre.

The trouble began soon after delegate Jill Ovens, a union representative, went into the crowd and attempted to talk to them.

She then went back behind the police lines and a man, whom TV One identified as her partner Len Richards, confronted demonstrators and was shown as swiping at one with a megaphone.

Mr Richards later told reporters he had not gone out to hit anyone.

Inspector Les Paterson, commander of the North Shore Police, said it was extremely disappointing that some members of the protest groups had claimed police had been provocative or heavy-handed.

"Police were incredibly tolerant and part of their role is to facilitate the right to free speech," he said.

"Police did this by allowing protesters to form up very close to the front of the main entrance to the Bruce Mason Centre where the conference was being held."

Mr Paterson said even though the protest groups had failed to get the required permission from the North Shore City Council, police still made the footpath and road available to them.

The demonstration began about 9am but it was over before the protesters' main target had arrived - Prime Minister Helen Clark was due to speak about 2pm and was not at the conference in the morning.

Mr Paterson said about 11am there was an incident involving a scuffle between a protester and a third party who was later identified as a union delegate.

"Two arrests were made at that point but both persons were released without charge shortly afterwards."

Mr Paterson said there was claim and counter claim about what happened.

"Scuffles of this nature are to perhaps be expected at an emotionally-charged event like this."

One of the protesters has now made a formal complaint against the union delegate and Mr Paterson said police will consider it later in the week.

Although there was footage of part of the incident, Mr Paterson said in the interests of fairness people should not to make a judgement on the strength of that alone.

In another incident a 17-year-old Gisborne youth spat in the face of a Maori police officer immediately after performing the Haka.

The youth was arrested and charged with a technical assault, but police said he was very apologetic and was later released to his Whanau.

He had not previously been in trouble and police were considering issuing a formal warning.

- NZPA