Farmers and climate change activists go head to head outside Parliament

Sunday, 21 November 2021

A counter-protest by Extinction Rebellion and Generation Zero remained relatively drama-free and was monitored by police.

Farmers and climate change activists went head to head outside Parliament yesterday as Groundswell’s ‘‘Mother Of All Protests’’ took place around the country.

From Auckland to Gore, protesters descended on towns and cities in their thousands, causing gridlock on streets, in the third nationwide protest organised by the group against ‘unworkable rules’ and regulations in the rural sector.

Some dogs barked along in the convoy, which was temporarily halted many times by climate change activists blocking the road.

Wellington’s event, which saw more than 50 farmers drive in laps in a convoy around Parliament, remained relatively free of drama, despite Extinction Rebellion hosting a counter-protest about climate change and related issues.

Police monitored the situation closely and conducted traffic management as Extinction Rebellion and Generation Zero protesters stood blocking the road at the intersection of Lambton Quay and Molesworth St chanting.

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Farmers did laps around Parliament while Extinction Rebellion and Generation Zero protesters chanted.

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A woman carried a sign saying Ardern Mad Cow which was not one of the pre-approved slogans offered by Groundswell who previously said some signs at the last protest were not in line with the group’s message.

A tractor carried a sign saying ‘NZ = Jacinda’s slaughterhouse enough is enough – another sign that wasn't included in the pre-approved slogans offered by Groundswell.

A police spokeswoman said there were no issues to report as a result of the event.

Groundswell protesters waved signs about Three Waters reforms.

Groundswell protesters shouted at climate change activists.

However, the majority of the time spent on the road by the counter-protesters was when the traffic lights were red.

Several Groundswell protesters shouted in return and held down their horns during the event, which lasted about two hours.

Groundswell NZ Hutt Valley coordinator Craig Innes said the procession of tractors and farm vehicles left Petone for Wellington about midday on Sunday.

He was not sure how many people had joined the farmers’ protest, but he suspected it was more than expected.

“We have full respect for [Extinction Rebellion],” he said.“They have their say. To be fair, we are holding things up as well.”

Around the country, thousands of protesters turned out to protest a range of Government legislation including Three Waters reforms and the proposed “ute tax”.

The Groundswell “grassroots rural movement” behind the protest, the third large protest from the group, wants changes to eight areas of government policy, including around freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, climate change, and the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill.

Seven of the issues are largely unchanged since the movement’s first protest – the “Howl of a Protest” – in July, during which an estimated 60,000 people drove tractors, trucks and utes down main streets in more than 50 places across the country.

Despite a previous push by organisers to stay on message, by asking attendees to adhere to a strict code of conduct and only display signs with pre-approved slogans, many strayed from the advice.

In Wellington, a woman carried a sign saying ‘’Jacinda mad cow’’ while another sign at a different protest described the Government’s legislation against farmers as apartheid. Some used the opportunity to express their anger towards Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

A plane carrying a banner saying “we don’t love you anymore Jacinda” was seen across Auckland skies.

Cities and towns, including on Auckland’s Queen St, were gridlocked by protesters, many in tractors.