Six protesters who occupied 100-year old native trees to stop contractors cutting them down at Canal Road, Avondale, will appear in Auckland District Court today at 10am.

On July 21, police arrested Abigail Smith, Niamh O'Flynn, Nick Young, Steve Abel and William Lee, and charged them with willful trespass for refusing to climb down from the trees they were occupying on site. That day a rewarewa tree was felled into a puriri while Steve Abel was occupying the tree.

On August 25, Mark Lockhart was arrested and charged with wilful trespass.

There has been a community protest and tree occupation at Canal Road since July 8, when William Lee first stood in front of the trucks on the property that were beginning to fell the trees. Since July 21, the campaign to save the Canal Road native trees has gained significant attention with a swell of community support, the arboriculture community joining the protest, and the installation of structures in the trees for activists to occupy.

On September 6 an Aukati - rāhui was declared by members of Tangata Kaitiaki as a means to protect the trees from felling.

Mr Abel says the Save Canal Road Native Trees group wants Auckland Mayor Phil Goff to instruct the council to acquire the land and turn it into a public reserve.

The group is also calling on Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern to reinstate general tree protection, he says.

The video of the tree falling on My Able is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NRAqFFbT28

26 of the original 46 native trees remain on-site, including a kawaka, three rare black maire and other natives like totara and puriri..

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