Auckland Council urges people to stay away from canned anti-co-governance rally

Roadshow organiser Julian Batchelor at the Kerikeri meeting. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The Auckland Council is pleading with anyone planning to attend a rally outside a cancelled “Stop Co-governance” roadshow in Auckland tonight to stay away for safety reasons.

The roadshow organiser, Julian Batchelor, has accused the Auckland Council of a “setup” after it cancelled his booking for a planned meeting tonight, which was expected to be held at the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall at 7pm.

The council axed the booking yesterday after a protest group booked the hall for 9pm, following a rally they planned to hold in opposition outside Batchelor’s gathering.

Auckland Council’s director of customer and community services Claudia Wyss said there were reports a “group” was encouraging a rally outside the hall, which she called “disappointing”.

“The council and those we have consulted with, like police and site security experts, continue to express concern about the suitability of the site for congregating outdoors,” Wyss said.

“The hall is on a busy major arterial road, with little parking and space for people to gather. The potential for safety issues on a busy road is unfathomable.

“To ensure public safety, we ask people to stay away from this gathering tonight.”

Talking to Newstalk ZB this afternoon, Wyss said security advice was sought from police and Auckland Council had worked with the organisers, but their safety plans “came up short”.

Wyss said the council were worried about the potential altercations that would arise when the first event, the roadshow, and the counter-protest met in the middle of the two bookings.

“We were mindful that both of the organisers and attendees have quite different points of view,” Wyss said.

“And because of the venues being booked back to back, it means that as one of the groups would leave another attendee group may come in and because of the venue size, its ingress and egress, and it’s very limited overflow in front of the venue, there were concerns about public safety.”

She told Newstalk ZB that if requested, the council will work with the organisers to find an alternative site, space and time where those types of meetings can be conducted.

“So this is in no way related to council trying to prevent any forms of freedom of expression,” she said.

“What we’re trying to do is make sure that people can express their points of view in a very safe way.”

She also admitted the cancellation was inspired by the events and violence that took place at the Posie Parker counter-protest on Saturday.

An “anti-racism pizza party” held by pro co-governance supporters has been spotted at Potters Park on Dominion Road in Mount Eden, nearby to where the roadshow and counter-protest were due to be held.

Pro Co-Governance demonstrators at Potters Park. Photo / Carson Bluck

Massive banners strung up read “no room for racism” and “land back” as attendees gather around them and play music from speakers.

Pro Co-Governance demonstrators at Potters Park, Balmoral. Photo / Carson Bluck

Batchelor earlier claimed the council cancelled his booking because it was “marinating in co-governance” agreements.

He dismissed as “spin” claims from the council manager who communicated the eventual cancellation of the booking, saying he believed that she was an “activist working inside council to shut down people and groups that she does not agree with”.

He believed considerations cited by the manager around human rights - and particularly freedom of expression - were an attempt to “sound like Nelson Mandela”.

“She is not Nelson Mandela,” he said.

While billed as a meeting about co-governance, Batchelor’s meetings offer Treaty of Waitangi revisionism and views which have sparked accusations of racism.

At earlier meetings, Batchelor welcomed protesters but has said he was urged by police to make the meetings private to reduce contact between those attending to hear his message and those wanting to voice opposition to it.

Batchelor uploaded the email he received from the council manager at 11.47am yesterday in which he was told there were “significant concerns about the level of risk associated with this event”.

He was asked to provide by 1.30pm “written assurance that the management and control of this event will be adequate” and to “urgently confirm what security arrangements will be in place”. He was also asked for a copy of the health and safety plan carried out for the event.

Batchelor said the short timeframe was a deliberate “trap”. “It was obvious they were going to cancel the meeting. They had predetermined the outcome. A setup.”

He said he contacted police to check his drafted response, emailed it to police then sent it to the council with a health and safety plan “having had it approved by the police”.

The response from the council, he said, was an email saying “on the basis that the council considers that the management and control of your event is deficient”.

Batchelor said the decision was made after advice “from police, security, health and safety advisers and others” over “significant and unmanageable health, safety and security risks”.

The Stop Co-Governance meeting hosted by Julian Batchelor at the Orewa Community Centre in Orewa on March 18. Photo / Mikaela Matenga

Batchelor said police were happy with the security precautions and it showed either police or the council were not telling the truth. He said he wanted the names, addresses and phone numbers of those who had advised council the event was unsafe.

He said the event had been advertised for two months and questioned why the council officer had not approached him earlier. He also said there were no specifics provided as to the risk posed.

“It’s worth noting that in all our meetings so far, not one person had been hurt or injured in any way whatsoever. And nor have any buildings been damaged in any way.”

Although both events were cancelled, the organisers of the 9pm gathering from the Aotearoa Liberation League announced their 6.30pm rally would still go ahead.

The group said it would be a rally of “celebration” outside the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall. “We won e te whānau, this is people power.”

Inspector Wayne Kitcher said police had been in contact with organisers of the roadshow event and the protesters.

“Ultimately, security arrangements are the responsibility of the organiser of respective events.

“However, police advised the venue owners, Auckland Council, of concerns around safety given numbers expected in the busy area. We are aware that council has since made a decision to cancel bookings for both events after considering all advice provided. Police will still maintain a presence in the area and respond to any issues that may arise.”

The Herald has reported that Batchelor was motivated to launch the roadshow of more than 40 meetings across the country after a property dispute with Māori in Northland’s Rāwhiti, where he owns a property.

The property covers part of an urupa (cemetery) and was also the site of an ancient pōhutukawa considered wāhi tapu (sacred) that was cut down to make way for a retaining wall.

It later emerged Batchelor’s retaining wall exceeded what was allowed in the resource consent. In 2020, Batchelor paid $1500 after he and his company, Gracealone Oke Bay Holdings, were issued four infringements for non-compliance with abatement notices.