Our email to Police Commissioner Andrew Coster and Minister of Police Ginny Andersen asking them to stop providing private security for the Stop Co-Governance tour even as they racially profile Māori at the door. Please consider sending your own.
"To: Andrew Coster [andrew.coster@police.govt.nz] and
Ginny Andersen [g.andersen@ministers.govt.nz]
Subject: Police Supporting Racial Profiling
Kia ora Andrew Coster kōrua ko Ginny Anderson,
We and many others in our community are very concerned with the use of public police resources to provide what is effectively private security for the Stop Co-Governance tour, including by helping to enforce racial profiling at the door. One dissenting attendee reported up to 30 police at one event. Instead, public resources should be used to protect our communities from racial hatred and violence. A petition by Māori Ward Councillor Pera Paniora has gathered 6455 signatures and states:
...we believe that the “Stop Co-Governance Tour” lead by Julian Batchelor is (allegedly) inciting racial disharmony. It is extremely disappointing to see that he is using the Police as his personal security guards at his events as Police presence is required to quell the emotions and reaction of the Māori community members he is attacking.
The tour spokesperson says these events are private but is placing flyers in letterboxes which invite people to "just turn up on the day"; his public website advertises the meetings with no mention of them being private, even stating "registration not required"; and the sign outside says "public meeting". The organisers decide on the spot who to allow into the meeting. There is evidence from multiple events where Māori are refused entry based on their race, regardless of whether they have registered or not. Police have helped to enforce this policy by facilitating the process of refusing and blocking people, including those refused based on their apparent race.
Inside events, police have again behaved as the tour's private security, enforcing the tour spokesperson's wishes seemingly outside of their legal duties. At the Paraparaumu event they reportedly removed anyone that the spokesperson asked them to - even if they were simply raising a counterpoint. If they are indeed private events, the Trespass Act applies, which requires the owner or occupier to warn a person before they are trespassed. Evidence from attendees show these requirements have not been met, with some saying the spokesperson simply had to point and say "out" for police to remove the dissenters.
Furthermore, we are increasingly concerned with this tour inciting hatred and violence in our communities. Not only have numerous Māori, including women and elderly, been assaulted at these events, but we think the violent rhetoric of the spokesperson is inciting racial hatred and violence. He tells attendees that we are at "war" with an elite Māori, that they need to "riot" and get "militant". Along with his racist fearmongering and propaganda, his policy of racial profiling, and his work towards an end of year rally of people who share his anti-Māori beliefs, we think the tour spokesperson is attempting to create an organised white supremacist, militant movement which threatens the safety of our communities.
To conclude, it is not the Police's job to provide private security, especially for a racist tour that racially profiles Māori. Furthermore, we believe the Police should be providing more protection to our communities against the incitement of racial hatred and violence.
Please view our short video below for evidence of what is explained above and don't hesitate to contact us for any more information.
Warm regards,
Aotearoa Liberation League
Samah and Pere Huriwai-Seger"
