The Freedom & Rights Coalition Protest March from Civic Square to Parliament.
On Tuesday the 23rd of August 2022, thousands of kiwis from all over New Zealand gathered together in Wellington to protest against the NZ government and parties in opposition.
Convoys of protestors departed from opposite ends of the country meeting in the middle at the capital city Wellington. Unlike the parliament protest that took place in February and March, this one was a one-day event and not an occupation.
The protest began in Civic Square with speeches by Hannah Tamaki and Dr Matt Sheldon. Music was performed by several kiwi musicians followed by a March down Willis Street and Lambton Quay.
When the march reached the Cenotaph in front of Parliament steps, a mob of 100 - 200 counter-protestors were waiting. Most of them were masked up unlike the freedom protestors that were all unmasked. The counter-protestors had signs marked with rainbow coloured lettering. Some of the messaging had statements about anti-hate, anti-racism and anti-facism. None of which made much sense in relation to the freedom protestors, whom are also against those things.
The march had to take a slight detour around the counter-protestors to get onto parliament grounds. When they arrived, Brian Tamaki, founder of The Freedom and Rights Coalition, addressed the government and the protestors.
A lengthy speech ensued, covering Tamaki’s jail experience, protest background, the callousness of the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and the incompetence of both the government and the opposition parties.
Because all of the parties in government, including Labour, Greens, Māori Party, National and Act, colluded together with an agreement to not meet with the protestors in February/March. Tamaki declared all of the parties as not representing the people and unfit for government.
Tamaki also announced an umbrella coalition party for joining the forces of the minor parties. Initially consisting of Vision NZ party and New Nation Party (NNP). Tamaki also mentioned that the Outdoors and Freedom Party was a likely third coalition partner.
Shortly after, the government was put on trial in a “People’s Court” for crimes against humanity, with regards to its current policies and poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic response.
After the prosecutor called up four witnesses before a judge, the jury unanimously voted a guilty verdict for the New Zealand Labour-led Government.
The 120 members of parliament were invited to meet and address the protestors, but not one of them came down to meet with them.
The Freedom and Rights Coalition goes by the acronym TFRC and sometimes by the more derogatory acronym FARC, which you can imagine was well used by the counter-protestors messaging.
Thumbnail - Chris Hipkins, Grant Robertson, Nanaia Mahuta & Jacinda Ardern
Chapters
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00:00 - Civic Square
00:23 - Mercer Street
04:41 - Willis Street
11:00 - Lambton Quay
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