Labour supporters and Vision NZ protesters followed Chris Hipkins around the Ōtara Markets. Photo: Stuff / Lawrence Smith
Nobody expected this at the Ōtara Markets.
Ross Robertson was the MP here for 27 years. He'd seen plenty of politicians walk around the Saturday market, shaking hands and meeting stallholders. Normally when a Labour leader visits South Auckland's markets, they bring with them a festival-like atmosphere - but that didn't happen when Chris Hipkins visited.
Instead, he was almost entirely drowned out by incessant horns and high power loudspeakers wielded by protesters from the political party Freedoms NZ. They chased him around the market, two on bicycles and others carrying big blue banners, until the prime minister eventually left.
Later on Saturday, Hipkins said he wouldn't change his campaign due to the likelihood of more protests like this.
"If Brian Tamaki and his people want to shout people down during the election campaign, they can do that. I'm going to continue to get out and about and talk to people," he said.
"The reception from the non-Brian Tamaki aligned people at the markets was very warm."
But it was difficult to hear the non-Tamaki-aligned people given how loud that megaphone was. Protesters shouted about issues completely foreign to most who engage in politics:
"No more BlackRock," they chanted.
"What is a woman?" they screamed.
PM Chris Hipkins wanders through Otara Market in South Auckland. Photo: Stuff / Lawrence Smith
BlackRock is an American investment fund that's investing $2 billion into New Zealand renewable energy production. While there are concerns that its New Zealand investment is greenwashing its fossil fuel connections elsewhere, the company's inclusion in various conspiracy theories has animated many online chatrooms.
And gender, specifically transgender inclusion, had been a hot-button issue amongst conservative American politics. This has now reached New Zealand through groups such as Destiny Church, and the political party NZ First.
Freedoms NZ candidate Karl Mokaraka led the protest, with a loudspeaker. Photo: Stuff / Lawrence Smith
Freedoms NZ is a new political party, joining together the Tamaki-led Vision NZ party and the Outdoors and Freedom Party, led by anti-vaccine activist Sue Grey.
Very few of the Freedoms NZ protesters wanted to talk after Hipkins left on Saturday. Multiple people, men and women, would only give their name as "Bob".
Bob 1 took a photo with local Labour MP Jenny Salesa.
I asked Bob 1 if she and Selesa were friends. She said no. Not friends, but they are whānau.
"We've got family connections, but we are on different wavelengths," she said, as the protesters' horn again interrupted the conversation. Bob 1 wasn't keen to talk about what motivated her to join the protest.
Salesa explained their connection: "That's one of my husband's relatives. Yeah. Their brother was MC at our wedding. She was here with her mum, and, you know, I gave them both a hug."
Labour MP Jenny Salesa and leader Chris Hipkins visit the Ōtara Market. Photo: Stuff / Lawrence Smith
Salesa was surprised about how Saturday's campaign event turned out.
"It's never been this way. Different parties come all the time, but we've never had another party be disrespectful like that," she said.
The protest was led by Vision NZ candidate Karl Mokaraka. He was happy with how it went, saying his "forgotten" community needed to be heard.
"I think politicians are just out of touch at the moment. Just out of touch," he said.
He defended using his horn and loudspeaker to drown out Hipkins' conversations, saying: "I think they don't even hear us."
As we talked, three supporters gathered around to film the conversation on their iPhones. Vision NZ represents a group with deep suspicion towards mainstream media. It largely relies on church groups, conspiracy-driven media and alternative platforms to communicate.
When that conversation ended, another so-called "Bob" wanted to ask her own questions about how Saturday morning at the Ōtara Market would be reported on Stuff, so she kept her camera rolling.
Meanwhile, with Hipkins gone and his groupies and protesters dispersing, outgoing Māngere MP Aupito William Sio was dancing with a busker and ex-Labour MP Ross Robertson was finishing his shopping.
Robertson didn't think the new phenomenon of campaign protests would have much impact on votes. He said he'd never seen most of the group in Ōtara before.
While Hipkins said he wouldn't be changing his campaign, there are concerns from others about how the increased organisation of conspiracy-inspired and more extreme political groups will impact this year's election campaign.
Labour Māori caucus chair Willie Jackson said he had concerns, specifically for wāhine Māori out on the campaign trail.
Some political parties have put new rules in place for volunteers. For instance, TOP has told volunteers to stay in groups and don't campaign after dark. The Green Party has specialist volunteers trained in de-escalation.
- This story was first published on Stuff