New Zealand

Wellington protest: Hundreds march to Parliament, extra police on patrol, roads closed

13:09 pm on 28 September 2023

Protesters are leaving Parliament after marching there from Civic Square in Wellington on Thursday morning.

The march was met by a small group of counter protesters from Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition.

Several political speeches by Brian Tamaki and Sue Grey from the Freedoms NZ party were read at the event, which was aimed to protest a variety of grievances including the United Nations and transgender rights.

About 600 to 800 protesters had gathered at Civic Square before setting off, according to RNZ reporters on the scene.

There is an extra police presence in the capital, roads have been closed and bus routes diverted with police saying officers were "prepared and on alert" and would be "highly visible across Wellington city".

The protest has been organised by a diverse range of groups including Brian Tamaki's Freedom Rights Coalition, the Convoy Coalition and Stop Co-Governance.

See how it unfolded with RNZ's blog: