John Korewha (left), march organiser Mike Shaw, Stop Demand chairman Mike Pinkney, and Russell Smith of Korowai Tumanako, a Kaikohe group protesting about the normalisation of pornography, make their point at the Boobs on Bikes Parade in Auckland yesterday. Photo / NZME
John Korewha (left), march organiser Mike Shaw, Stop Demand chairman Mike Pinkney, and Russell Smith of Korowai Tumanako, a Kaikohe group protesting about the normalisation of pornography, make their point at the Boobs on Bikes Parade in Auckland yesterday. Photo / NZME
A Kaikohe group who led a protest during Auckland's Boobs on Bikes say they achieved their mission of making young men watching the parade think about the effects of pornography.
Organiser Mike Shaw said eight people from Kaikohe's Massive (Men Against Sexual Violence) Movement travelled to Auckland yesterday, where theywere joined by four members from Auckland and various others representing Stop Demand, Project Freedom and a human rights group. About 50 people took part in the protest - as many as, or more than, participants in the parade.
Police would not let the group march on the road, so they walked down the footpath ahead of the bikes.
Mr Shaw said they copped some abuse from "smart alecs" in the crowd but most people were positive and open to discussion.
"People asked us, 'What's wrong with boobs?' We'd explain it wasn't about boobs, it was about the normalisation of pornography and the harm it causes." He said the protest was a success because the group were able to take their message directly to a target audience of young men, who made up most of the people lining Queen St, to challenge their way of thinking.
The fact the protest was led by men gave it a greater impact among the male spectators, he said. Earlier, Mr Shaw said the group's concern with pornography was it objectified women, a first step to the abuse of women and children.
It also gave young men a warped view of sexuality and relationships.
