In photos: Ihumātao dispute sees police and protesters face off
Wednesday, 24 July 2019
People have been arrested and dogs have been pepper sprayed at a clash over a long-disputed property.
Protesters, who have been occupying the land at south Auckland's Ihumātao for the past three years, were served with eviction notices on Tuesday.
A large group gathered on Wednesday and police charged a woman with obstruction and being unlawfully on a vehicle after she allegedly climbed onto a truck.
Two large and 'aggressive' dogs were also pepper sprayed, police confirmed.
**READ MORE:
* Dogs pepper sprayed, protesters arrested
* Eviction notices served on Ihumātao protesters
* Ihumātao: The Parihaka of south Auckland?
* Fletcher Residential buys south Auckland land**
Protesters describe the land as a 'sacred Māori site' and say it was unjustly confiscated from mana whenua in 1863.
Fletcher Building plans to build about 480 houses at Ihumātao and says it will 'include the affordable housing which many Aucklanders so desperately need'.
Stuff visual journalists Abigail Dougherty and Ryan Anderson were there on Wednesday.