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Ihumātao protest: Busloads of more supporters expected from across country

Busloads of more supporters from different parts of the country are expected to start arriving later today to join the land dispute at Ihumātao, near Auckland Airport.

A check-in area has been set up so people can sign in when they arrive at Ihumātao. Photo: RNZ / Joanna MacKenzie

Earlier day, Joe Hawke, who led the occupation at Bastion Point, arrived at the protest in South Auckland today to stand in solidarity. Amnesty International observers who also arrived this morning say there were reports of a scuffle but overall it was a peaceful protest.

On day three of the stand-off, the group leading the campaign, SOUL (Save Our Unique Landscape) spent much of the morning organising volunteers and preparing for the influx of people.

It said a bus from Wellington left late last night, and more people were expected from Opotiki.

Also people who arrived yesterday from Hokianga said they had put the call out to their whanau in Northland, who would arrive in a couple of busloads in the coming days.

The group had set up a make-shift entrance point and asked people to sign in when they arrived at Ihumātao.

Amnesty International observers have arrived at the land protest at Ihumātao in South Auckland.

Joe Hawke - who led the occupation at Bastion Point - at the Ihumātao protest. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook

A team of three from the human rights group arrived at 8.30am, including executive director Meg de Ronde.

Ms de Ronde said they had come to independently observe the protest and to make sure people's rights were protected.

She said there were reports of a minor scuffle early this morning and that this would be looked at.

"So we're just trying to get some verification around what occurred there but overall it seems to have been peaceful."

#Ihumatao We are on site, documenting the human rights situation. pic.twitter.com/ppI4kjdzR3

— Amnesty New Zealand (@AmnestyNZ) July 24, 2019

People in the field, tents in the field, police in the field pic.twitter.com/ZchSWgQUGE

— Meg de Ronde (@MegdeRonde) July 24, 2019

Ms de Ronde said they would be there for the rest of today. "Our intention is to be here till around 4pm today, and then we'll reassess how we can be involved going forward and whether we're still needed," she said.

At least 300 people are at the site, with groups taking turns to stand at the frontline, while some perform in front of the police.

People continue to occupy Ihumatao after protesters were served an eviction notice which led to a stand-off with police. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook

One of the leaders of the campaign against the housing development, Pania Newton, told the crowd the intention was to remain peaceful.

"Our kaupapa is peaceful and passive. Swearwords, they're not our language. We want to fight hate with aroha."

She said a bus from Wellington left last night and more people were expected from Ōpōtiki .

Whānau from Hokianga who arrived yesterday were calling people from Northland who'd arrive in the coming days, Ms Newton said.

Also present at Ihumātao is Joe Hawke who led the occupation at Bastion Point.

Police and protesters at dawn at Ihumātao on 25 July. Photo: RNZ / Joanna MacKenzie

Full photo gallery on the RNZ report

On Tuesday, those occupying the land were served an eviction notice which led to a stand-off between police and protesters. About six people were arrested for passing police cordons or causing disruptions.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson who has been vocal about stopping the "continuation of colonisation" joined protesters at Parliament yesterday.

Ms Davidson told Morning Report the government had a role to play and it couldn't ignore the issue just because there were differing views among Māori.

"The original injustice which is the confiscated and stolen land is pitting whānau against whānau and hapū against hapū. The Greens have always said we can't wash our hands off that, as the Crown, at the very least there needs to be some direct engagement," she said.

"I'm really concerned about the police presence on Ihumātao but the government can play a role here to intervene. People are determined, this issue is not going to go away."

"Unless we address the core of these land disputes we will continue to see this sort of conflict" - Marama Davidson duration 3:27
from Morning Report

Click a link to play audio (or right-click to download) in either
MP3 format or in OGG format.

The #MāoriAffairs Committee has released its final report on the Petition of Pania Newton for the Save our Unique Landscape campaign: #ProtectIhumātao, recommending that the House take careful note of the petitioners’ concerns.
Read the full report: https://t.co/kSWXTeOHdB #nzpol

— NZ Parliament (@NZParliament) July 24, 2019

$40m to buy back land

Auckland Councillor Cathy Casey has asked the Mayor to facilitate an urgent meeting between all parties at #Ihumātao - including all iwi claiming manu whenua status over the land, Auckland Council and the Crown and any other affected/interested parties. @rnz_news @radionz

— Katie Scotcher (@katiescotcher) July 25, 2019

Auckland councillor Cathy Casey has asked the mayor to facilitate an urgent meeting between all parties at Ihumātao.

Councillor John Watson said the council needed to get involved - otherwise the dispute could get ugly.

Earlier today Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said there's nothing more his council could do to resolve the stand-off at Ihumātao, but later said he was willing to make a further effort to find a way around the dispute.

He said the council had tried for years to find a solution.

But he said kaumātua support the deal with Fletcher Building and the courts had upheld the company's right to develop the land it bought from the former owner.

The council is offering to rezone the neighbouring Rennie Homestead block as a public open space.

Mr Goff said it would also take over the nearby 92-hectare Stonefields Historic Reserve to improve the way it's looked after in future, given its geological and cultural significance.

He said it would cost the council up to $40 million to buy the Ihumātao site, and that would hurt open spaces in other parts of the city.

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