Dozens of New Zealanders gathered in Aotea Square this afternoon to stand in solidarity with peaceful protesters in Nigeria battling against police brutality and corruption.
UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya at the EndSARS protest Photo: Jogai Bhatt
The protests in Nigeria began earlier this month with mostly young people demanding the scrapping of a notorious police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The unit was dissolved days later, but the protests continued, demanding broader reforms in the way Nigeria is governed.
Photo: Jogai Bhatt
They escalated after a shooting in the nation's biggest city, Lagos, on Tuesday, when Amnesty International says security forces killed at least 12 people. Nigeria's army has denied any involvement.
Photo: Jogai Bhatt
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said today 69 people have been killed in the protests.
Musician JessB at the EndSARS gathering. Photo: Jogai Bhatt
Today's EndSARS gathering in Auckland included sportspeople such as UFC middleweight Israel Adesanya, who was born in Lagos, and musicians including Mazbou Q, JessB and Phodiso Dintwe.
Photo: Jogai Bhatt
A range of speakers from the local Nigerian community talked about how the Nigerian government hated its own people and was failing them, but that New Zealand also needed to examine the way police targeted Māori and Pasifika people.
Police were not present at today's gathering.
Musician Mazbou Q at the EndSARS gathering. Photo: Jogai Bhatt