Palmerston North condemns 'hate crime' against Massey University student

Tuesday, 7 March 2023

The victim at the heart of a hate crime in Palmerston North is an international student. She has just started her veterinary degree at Massey University.

A hate crime against an American couple in Palmerston North has been condemned by local authorities.

Police, the Palmerston North City Council, Massey University and the Race Relations Commission have all weighed in on the incident, with Mayor Grant Smith saying it was something out of “Hicktownsville”.

The couple at the heart of the incident posted a video on TikTok explaining how as they walked away from Event Cinema their Saturday evening turned from pleasant to a hate crime.

The couple met a group of five people near The Warehouse on Pioneer Highway who started calling out to them using racial slurs and threatening them, the woman said in a video that was posted on their public TikTok on Sunday, but was deleted on Tuesday.

* Massey University student associations merger delayed

* Support for Massey University students during stressful lockdown

Ethnic liaison officer for Central Districts Sergeant Qian Yang wants people to come forward if they face hate crime.

“The girl … she was like oh, that’s an ‘n’ word, that’s a monkey, and started making monkey noises.”

They stopped and turned around to find the group laughing at them, then an older man who was with the group tried to square up against her boyfriend.

Sergeant Qian Yang from Palmerston North police arrived in NZ in March 2000. Originally from Qingdao, Shandong Province, China he is the ethnic liaison co-ordinator for the Central District.

The boyfriend said he asked the man why he was threatening them, saying, “We just got here and this is what you want us to experience? We’re literally just walking down the street having a good night”.

The woman, who was the victim of the racial slurs, had just begun her veterinary courses at Massey University, and the couple had researched the area to make sure it was a safe place to be, but now they weren’t so sure.

Sergeant Qian Yang, the Central District’s ethnic liaison co-ordinator for police, said police would take every measure to identify the perpetrators, including pulling CCTV footage, circulating the video through local officers, and calling on witnesses to come forward.

Yang had also spoken with Massey University and members of the Palmerston North City Council – who were “pretty agitated” – about the incident to ensure the threats were taken seriously.

Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith has condemned the behaviour of the perpetrators.

“Clearly from the police point of view there is an offence,” Yang said.

“There’s offensive behaviour that has got hate crime elements in it and racial discrimination.”

Yang said the behaviour from the older man seen in the video could also be classed as threatening behaviour, racking up another offence to the list from the incident.

The couple had made a police report on Sunday, but Yang noticed from their comments in the video that they were concerned about compromising their visa status in Aotearoa if they contacted police.

Massey University deputy vice-chancellor of students and global engagement Tere McGonagle-Daly says it was an appalling attack that shouldn’t be tolerated by students or New Zealanders.

“You are not going to be in trouble when you approach police.

“[We need] for people who come here to understand what New Zealand police do and how they can seek help.”

Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith said the council was working with different groups across the community to support the couple.

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon says racism had no place in Aotearoa.

”That’s the sort of stuff you see in movies about the southern states of America in the 1950s and 60s, it’s real Hickstownville stuff.

”It’s the sort of stuff I would not expect to see in the city.

“It’s not us, and we do condemn that kind of behaviour.”

Massey University deputy vice-chancellor Dr Tere McGonagle-Daly said representatives from the university including the student wellbeing team had been in touch with the student and her partner to provide support as well.

McGonagle-Daly described it as an “appalling attack” and said he was proud of the pair for standing up publicly and calling-out unacceptable behaviour.

“It’s extremely important to us that all students, international and domestic, feel welcomed in the community and on campus,” he said.

“Racist acts like this are not tolerated at Massey and should not be tolerated by New Zealanders”

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon also acknowledged the couple’s bravery for publishing the racial slurs online.

”This racial discrimination is not condoned by me or many other New Zealanders.

“We hope the perpetrators will be held to account as much as there is freedom of speech I say it is lawful but awful and is not good at all.”

Foon offered to travel to Palmerston North to give support to the victims and community.

The couple were approached for comment.