Hate speech or free speech? Clashes in Auckland reignite debate

Sunday, 26 March 2023

Anti trans activist Kelly-Jay Keen-Minshull was believed to be on her way back to Britain last night after telling supporters she was frightened for her safety in New Zealand.

Raucous protests and counter-protests over her aborted public event in Auckland have opened fresh debate about the limits of free speech after Keen-Minshull attempted to bring her speaking tour to Aoteaora.

On Saturday morning, Keen-Minshull’s Auckland rally saw extended clashes, various skirmishes and the activist doused in juice before being escorted away by police. No arrests were made.

On Saturday evening, sources said Keen, also known as Posie Parker, had checked into a flight back to the UK. She refused to confirm those reports when contacted by Stuff, and would not give any information about her travel intentions, saying she did not trust the media.

**READ MORE:

* Anti-trans activist Posie Parker escorted out of Auckland rally, hit by soup

* Difficult Conversations: Should Posie Parker be allowed in the country?

* How an absolutist approach to free speech is obscuring hate speech

**

“I wouldn’t be telling anyone my plans.”

Earlier, Keen-Minsull told Stuff she was “frightened” after she had juice doused on her prior to speaking at her Auckland event, which drew significant crowds, believed to be in their thousands and mainly consisting of trans rights supporters.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Keen said. “What a shameful day for New Zealand.”

On her social media account, Keen said she had genuinely feared for her life.

“We showed the world what happens to women when they try to speak. No one can pretend they don’t see the salivating misogyny.”

Keen had been scheduled to speak at a rally in Wellington on Sunday. A press release from a group of supporters later claimed the Wellington event was cancelled but Parker also refused to confirm or deny that when contacted by Stuff .

In a livestream after the aborted Auckland event, however, Keen was heard asking whether she would get the same reception in Wellington and whether it was time to pull out of that event.

In Auckland, the chaotic scenes capped off weeks of discourse about the activist’s right to speak her views in public.

Ahead of her appearance, a crowd of thousands, mainly trans rights supporters, gathered in Albert Park where tensions boiled over as she made her way though barricades separating the opposing sides.

Those barricades were quickly overwhelmed and after being surrounded by protestors, Keen was escorted away, as were her supporters.

A low-key police presence at the start of the rally quickly swelled after the barricades were rushed. As many as 16 police officers escorted Keen-Minshull to a waiting police car after her own security detail forced their way through the crowd of protesters, which surrounded her to vent their anger.

Helen King attended the protest to show solidarity with her trans friends and community at large, saying Auckland has sent a strong message to the activist.

“ I feel so proud so many people from so many backgrounds came to say we don't want that in NZ.”

Also known as Posie Parker, the Briton is a women’s rights campaigner to some, and an anti-trans activist to others. She regularly takes aim at transgender people and migrants.

Arriving in New Zealand earlier this week as part of her ‘Let Women Speak Tour’, she was recently joined by far-right members at an event in Australia where clashes in Melbourne’s streets prompted calls for her to be barred from entering Aotearoa.

On Wednesday, Immigration New Zealand said she would be allowed into the country, despite Immigration Minister Michael Wood‘s comments about her “inflammatory, vile and incorrect world views”.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins also weighed in, saying he condemned people who abused their right to freedom of speech to “create division”.

While some claim that opposition to Parker’s events is denying the right of free speech, one expert believes that shutting her down is the only acceptable response.

Senior law lecturer Dylan Asafoi says the proliferation of harmful rhetoric under the guise of free speech emboldens hatred and has led to overseas transphobic laws actively limiting trans’ lives.

“Even allowing these people to have platforms and spaces to proliferate that rhetoric is extremely dangerous.

“Any harm in limiting their speech is merely hypothetical and largely outweighed by the real harm and risks to the marginalised communities they actively target.”

Asafoi says the free speech argument tends to prioritise activists who come from privileged backgrounds over minority communities.

“Do we want to take a stand and protect marginalised people…or are we willing to just provide platforms under this rhetoric of free speech that doesn't have a lot of substance?”

Following Saturday’s rally, the Free Speech Union condemned the “threats of violence and intimidation,' by some counter-protesters and accused police of not protecting the activist’s right to speak.

“Police need to front up and explain why they aren’t doing their jobs and demonstrate their commitment to allowing New Zealander’s to exercise their human rights by hearing from people with controversial views.”

Also criticising police was the group Speak Up for Women, saying in a statement it would formally complain about a lack of action to “prevent violence in what was clearly an increasingly volatile situation”.

Act deputy leader Brooke van Velden said she was saddened by the events in Albert Park.

“In a civilised country, you counter ideas you don’t like with more speech and debate, not violence and intimidation.

“Ironically, the group who complained they were going to be the victims of violence ended up being the violent ones.”

Police said no arrests had been made, and reporters at the scene observed violent shoving from both sides.

In a statement, a police spokesperson said the role of police at events like the Keen-Minshull rally was to ensure safety and uphold the law, “while recognising the lawful right to protest”.

“Police were at Albert Park this morning monitoring the event and the counter-protest.

“As soon as it became clear there was a potential safety risk to the event speaker, she was escorted from the area by police staff.