Auckland's Powerstation owner apologises for booking controversial speakers
Friday, 3 August 2018
Auckland music venue The Powerstation has apologised for accepting a booking for far-Right Canadian speakers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux.
About 1pm on Friday the promoters Axiomatic Events announced the pair would speak at The Powerstation later that day.
But two and a half hours later, ticket holders received an email saying the event was off and refunds would be given.
In an interview with Stuff, Powerstation owner Gabrielle Mullins said it was not clear it was the Canadian pair from the name on the booking.
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'The minute I heard who it was I cancelled,' Mullins said.
'I understand it's all about freedom of speech, but it's the content of the freedom of speech that I found offensive.'
Mullins apologised to 'all who have supported the Powerstation and who we may have offended'.
But the cancellation appears to have killed off the pair's prospects of speaking in New Zealand.
Hundreds of people were set to rally against the visit on Friday, and still gathered at Aotea Square when it was announced the event was cancelled. They clutched the strings of heart-shaped balloons and held placards.
Ten Auckland-based activist groups banded together for the 'Rally Against Racism', which organiser and Auckland University student Katjoesja Buissink described as 'the most organised protest I've ever seen'.
At the rally, Buissink said a range of cultural performances would go ahead 'making this more of a celebration of diversity'.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson attended the rally, adding her voice to the anti-racism messages.
Southern and Molyneux were earlier barred from using Auckland Council-owned venues, with Auckland Live citing health and safety grounds for the cancellation.
That decision, and a subsequent tweet by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, prompted the Free Speech Coalition, which included Don Brash and Chris Trotter, to launch legal proceedings against Auckland Council.
Stuff was then told the pair would not be travelling to New Zealand, before getting clarification from the promoter that Southern and Molyneux would in fact be speaking in Auckland.
Goff has been steadfast in his opposition to the pair and their views.
Last month, he claimed police were braced for disorder if they were given the green light to appear at a council-owned venue.
'I'd looked at what happened in Australia last December, with Milo Yiannopoulos, and there were big issues there – there were five police officers injured,' Goff said.
Last year, Melbourne police accused protesters of 'Kardashian-style politics' after two men were arrested and several police officers injured as violent clashes erupted outside an event hosting Yiannopoulos, a controversial British commentator, who is closely aligned with the 'alt-right'.
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