Advance Party and crowd
rallies against Covid-19
restrictions and lockdowns
12 September, 2020
The woman jailed for breaking out of a managed isolation facility appeared at a protest rally against the government's use of lockdowns and other Covid-19 restrictions.
About a few thousand people were out for Advance Party's demonstration against the government's Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns on 12 September, 2020. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
A crowd of a few thousand packed in Auckland's Aotea Square this afternoon, at the "National Rally for Freedom", organised by Advance Party co-leaders, Jami Lee Ross and Billy Te Kahika.
There was little social distancing and few people in the crowd wearing masks.
Te Kahika told those present they "grieved" for the woman known as 'LK' after she "was made an example of last month."
"She is one New Zealander who has suffered a considerable loss because of the government's responses to Covid-19."
The woman, who was not named, did not address the crowd.
Advance NZ co-leaders Billy Te Kahika and Jami-Lee Ross, and a woman who was jailed for breaking isolation rules. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen
She was sentenced to 14 days' jail after escaping from an isolation facility, with the judge saying he accepted grief had likely clouded the woman's judgement and her negative tests had given her a false sense of safety, but there was an element of "selfishness" in her offending as putting herself before the protection of the community "did not accord with tikanga".
She was introduced by Te Kahika as "a lady who touched my heart greatly through this experience".
"I tried to hold her hand during the process, this [is] a mother whose former partner had died, who came to New Zealand, she was tested negative when she got here."
Police would not comment about any concerns for the crowd size with Auckland still under alert level 2. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
She applied for a compassionate exemption but that was initially denied; the government said it had been working closely with the family, iwi, Māori wardens, police, and the funeral home on a second request but the woman and her four children absconded a few hours before the decision was due.
Te Kahika told the protest because she was "under threat, is trying to get back to Australia, she's just going to wave and come out, she's a brave and courageous lady, she was jailed for 14 days but she was let go in seven as I pounded this government on my Facebook page."
"If they can imprison a mother of four young children, they can imprison any old one of you, if we say no to the Covid-19 public health bill - they're tyrants, whānau.
"We are a logical people," said Te Kahika, as he addressed the crowd.
There was little social distancing observed among those who attended the protest on 12 September, 2020. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
The protest then made its way down Auckland's Queen Street before returning to Aotea Square.
There were a number of police present at the rally; they refused to comment when approached by RNZ and asked whether there were any concerns about social distancing given the size of the crowd.
Minister of Health Chris Hipkins recently issued a strong warning that "fake news, misinformation and conspiracy theories are threatening to derail" the country's Covid-19 response and impede progress to alert level 1.
He said looking overseas, it was plain to see the coronavirus was "very, very real" and "very, very deadly", with no vaccine - and while he wanted a co-operative approach, did not rule out punitive measures for people who continue to deliberately spread lies.
A man arrested at Melbourne’s anti-lockdown protest says it was worth the fine after he bizarrely made himself known to police as they started to walk away.
The man called out to police as they crossed the road and proudly displayed a sign before being handcuffed and led away.
He told NCA NewsWire before his arrest he was not a conspiracy theorist but just anti-government and anti-lockdown and was prepared to get arrested and fined for it.
Police have arrested 14 anti-lockdown protesters after swarming the streets of Melbourne in a bid to shut down a 'Freedom Walk' rally.
Officers on horseback and in riot gear were seen marching across the city in preparation for the protest that was due to kick off at 11am on Saturday in the city's Tan walking track.
Demonstrators have already been taken away in handcuffs as police attempt to avoid a repeat of last week's protest that saw violent clashes leading to 17 arrests.
One man was arrested on Saturday after holding an anti-lockdown sign and calling out to police outside the Shrine of Remembrance.
The man told News Corp he wasn't a conspiracy theorist but was anti-government and nodded when asked if it was 'worth the fine'.
Premier Daniel Andrews has announced regional Victoria is on track to ease coronavirus restrictions in a matter of days as cases across the state continue to plummet.
Victoria marked its ninth day in a row of double digit figures on Saturday with just 37 new coronavirus cases - its lowest daily increase since June 26.
The promising decline in cases comes after Victoria saw 43 new cases on Friday, 51 on Thursday and 76 on Wednesday.
The state also reported six additional fatalities, taking the state death toll to 716 and the national figure to 803.
Mr Andrews said there are only 58 active coronavirus infections in regional Victoria and no new cases since Friday's update.
He remains hopeful the Stage Three restrictions will be eased by the middle of next week, allowing regional Victoria to be 'essentially open'.
'Regional Victoria remains on track to be open to take not one but two steps,' Mr Andrews said on Saturday.
'That is proof positive to every single Victorian that we can drive these numbers down and we can open up and do it safely.
'I want to congratulate and thank every single regional Victorian for the part they are playing on that.'
Mr Andrews said the 14-day new case average dropped to 61.6 in metropolitan Melbourne and 4.3 in regional Victoria.
'It is very good news for regional Victoria and I hope every single person in metro Melbourne is looking to the numbers in regional Victoria and seeing what can be delivered,' the premier said.
'Regional Victoria is so close, just a few days and they will potentially be able to take not just a single step but two of those steps and be essentially open.'
The premier also announced some changes to his roadmap out of lockdown.
When Melbourne enters their second step on September 29, pet groomers will be able to provide contactless service to their animals.
'Pet owners will be able to drop off their pets to the venue,' he said.
Following further consideration, Mr Andrews said beauty and personal services where a mask can be worn the whole time will be allowed to proceed in the step three alongside hairdressers.
This could be as early as October 26.
But beauty services where a mask can't be worn - such as facials, face tattoos and face piercings - will not be included under the changes.
Duty and personal services were previously listed to open up in Melbourne under the last step of the roadmap.
Despite the promising decline in infections, Mr Andrews stood by his draconian curfew in Melbourne.
Under Stage Four restrictions, the premier suggested there was only two things Melburnians would want to do after 8pm - to go for a run or go shopping.
But Mr Andrews suggested they could be done before the curfew and that supermarkets had been shutting earlier than normal throughout the pandemic.
'If you have got a work permit, curfew doesn't apply. If you need urgent care, curfew doesn't apply,' he said.
'If you want to go for a jog at midnight, sorry, you can't. If you want to go shopping at midnight, sorry, you can't,' he said.
The premier suggested further announcements would be made about roadmap restrictions throughout the week ahead.
He remains hopeful Christmas will be as normal possible.
It comes as Paul Little, the chairman of the state government's own COVID-19 Advisory Group, said the state's coronavirus restrictions created 'unintended consequences'.
'Most of the industry and community contacts I have spoken to recently agree that using a 'blunt tool' of minimising social interaction throughout Victoria has created many unintended consequences,' he told AFR Weekend.
Mr Little's role involves supplying 'real time intelligence from key community and business sectors' to the government's strategic decision makers.
He warned small businesses are likely to bear the brunt of the COVID-19 lockdown.
'Currently within Victoria, the small to medium enterprises (SME) sector is under severe pressure and many of these businesses will not resume operations when lifting of restrictions occurs as per the road map,' he said.
Mr Little said the announcement of Victoria's roadmap last Sunday meant the government needed to urgently address high risk COVID-19 transmission areas, while identifying and relaxing rules in lower risk locations.
Top QC Michael Wyles has also questioned the validity of the coronavirus curfew imposed on Melbourne by Mrl Andrews.
Mr Wyles said the 8pm to 5am curfew, brought in as part of the city's Stage Four restrictions, had not been authorised under state law.
'There is no legal basis for the curfew,' he told The Australian.
Legislation allows health officials to make emergency orders to protect the public but Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has revealed he did not seek the curfew.
Premier Andrews instead said the restriction had been 'about enforcement'.
Mr Wyles' pointed out the potential flaw in the curfew as assisting law enforcement was not a valid reason to enact emergency health orders.
'It is invalid and everyone can ignore it because the direction is not, according to what Sutton said yesterday, for the purpose of eliminating or reducing the risk of COVID,' Mr Wyles said.
The number of fresh diagnoses on Saturday continued good news as the state moves closer to easing restrictions on travel and lifestyle, but Melbourne expects to see more anti-lockdown protest action on Saturday.
Regional Victoria could move out of restrictions as early as next week, Premier Daniel Andrews indicated.
Michael Wyles said the 8pm to 5am curfew, brought in as part of Melbourne's Stage Four restrictions, had not been authorised under state law
Michael Wyles said the 8pm to 5am curfew, brought in as part of Melbourne's Stage Four restrictions, had not been authorised under state law
'We are poised to be able to take not just one but potentially two steps as early as next week,' he said.
To progress to the third step of its recovery plan, regional Victoria must have a daily case average of five or less across 14 days and record no cases with an unknown source.
Melburnians remain subject to a lockdown curfew between 8pm and 5am, with Mr Andrews standing strong in the face of federal government criticism.
The Melbourne Freedom Walk is scheduled for Saturday on the edge of Melbourne's Botanical Gardens, according to social media. There may also be protests in other locations.
It is unknown how many people are expected to participate, given the original event was taken down earlier in the week by Facebook.
An anti-lockdown rally was held at the Shrine of Remembrance last weekend resulting in 17 arrests and more than 160 fines being issued for breaching health directions.
The city's fortnightly average for daily infections must fall to 50 or lower before some workplaces and schools can reopen from September 28.
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