Protests Rock Te papa

Two loud and angry demos rocked Te papa museum today as animal rights activists highlighted the cruel and inhumane nature of the meat industry. Protests kicked of at 7.30 with protesters screaming and shouting at delegates to the meat conference as they entered Te papa. The delegates were escorted by police into the museum past protesters who yelled “Meat is Murder” “Scumbags” and “Innocent animals under attack – Stand up fight back”. Despite the heavy police presence unknown members of the public managed to remove half of the line separating the delegates from protesters. After the mornings protests police issued noise infringement notices to a member of the actions and got details of people as they were about to drive off. The conference has had an extremely high police presence with a minimum of 20 police marching around the museum grounds in formation and hassling photographers and any member of the public not wearing a suit.

At eleven a rally was held outside Te papa with 40plus members of the public and protesters present. Speeches and chanting were used to inform the museum and the public of our opposition to the meat trade. The link between environmental destruction and the meat industry was drawn and the need to take direct action against the meat industry was highlighted. Chants such as “one struggle one fight human freedom animal rights” and “meat is murder” echoed across the waterfront and hundreds of leaflets were distributed. Towards the end of the protest trespass notices were distributed to two activists for the previous days protests. A stack of trespass notices were unable to be handed out as the cops could not recognize various disguised protesters. Two high school aged self proclaimed “pseudo anarchists” held a protest in favor of meat consumption but were infiltrated by a protester in a wig and suit who held a fake placard saying “Destroy the planet, kill the animals for profit” and “meat the losers” the counter protesters reportedly had no idea that they had a double agent in their midst they held a placard saying “wheat is murder and “meat is yum”. A young Nats and young Act barbecue previously advertised did not take place.

Following the main protest around 25 people returned to Meat on Tory and conducted an extremely loud and angry demo. A paddy wagon and two cars full of officers guarded the front entrance to the shop and observed protesters from across the road. Following the protest police followed the protesters around central Wellington worried that another animal abuser might be targeted.