Six arrested as Kaitaia Airport protest ends

Police Sergeant Kevin Anderson talks to protestors Hone Popata, right, and Reti Boynton. Photo / Edward Rooney

Six protesters have been arrested after refusing to leave Kaitaia Airport.

Members of the Far North iwi Ngati Kahu moved onto land at the airport about 11am yesterday, causing the cancellation of flights to and from Kaitaia, in protest against a $100 million Treaty of Waitangi settlement due to be passed into law today.

The majority of the activists - including the Popata brothers, Wi and Hone - left the site when they were instructed to be police this afternoon.

The remaining six were forced off airport land and taken to Kaitaia police station about 2.45pm.

Action leader Wi Popata, of Ngati Kahu, said he wasn't arrested because his people had asked him to leave the grounds so they would not be arrested and they could keep up the fight.

Earlier volunteers from the Kaitaia Fire Brigade were called to put out a series of small fires lit on the roadside on the way to the terminal.

About 30 police were on site and an iwi liaison officer was talking with the handful of protesters who refused to leave.

The other protesters huddled around the gate to the airfield singing waiata.

Roads were closed to the terminal for about half an hour as the protesters were evicted.

A flight carrying medical supplies and hospital specialists from Whangarei to Kaitaia was cancelled this morning as a result of the protest.