Policing of TPP protest was provocative and plain stupid
 
The policing of the TPP protest in Auckland this afternoon was provocative and plain stupid.
 
As the protest gathering was preparing to leave Skycity the most senior police officer intervened to stop a symbolic act of burning a number of cardboard petition boxes.
 
With tensions running high after the refusal of TPP organisers to accept the 750,000 international petition against the negotiations the police action added insult to injury.
 
It was unnecessary, highly provocative and it was inevitable a scuffle would break out with several people injured.
 
To make matters worse this same officer repeated the stupidity with the very provocative arrest of a young woman in Aotea Square a short time later.
 
Another scrum was inevitable with further injuries.
 
Police diplomacy, restraint and awareness were absent today and resulted in at least 100 people lining up to abuse the 20 or so police as they left Aotea Square.
 
Today’s policing was way up there among the most stupid and provocative we’ve seen in 35 years of being part of various protests.
 
I’ve never seen one police officer cause so much unnecessary trouble for themselves as well as the protest group. The police in the protest deserved much better leadership today.

ENDS

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