Auckland crime: Man arrested after windows smashed at MP’s electoral office

A man has been arrested after an incident at an MP’s electoral office in South Auckland overnight.

Police said a 47-year-old man has been charged with wilful damage and is due to appear in the Manukau District Court next week.

It comes after authorities were called to the electoral office of Panmure-Ōtāhuhu MP Jenny Salesa, based in Fulton Crescent, in Otara.

“At around 12.30am, police were notified of a man allegedly smashing windows at a Fulton Crescent address,” a police statement said.

A police car outside the electoral office of Panmure-Ōtāhuhu MP Jenny Salesa. Photo / Hayden Woodward

“No entry was gained and police located and arrested a man nearby with the assistance of the Police dog unit: Delta.”

A witness reported multiple windows around the property had been smashed and glass could be seen shattered on the ground outside.

Several windows around the property have been left smashed. Photo / Hayden Woodward

A police car was stationed outside the Labour MP’s office as officers attended the scene.

In recent months, several National MPs’ electoral offices - including that belonging to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon - have been vandalised in protest of the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.

PM Christopher Luxon's office in Auckland was vandalised by protesters last November.

Red paint has been splashed across buildings and billboards, calling on politicians to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Tāmaki for Palestine has claimed responsibility for some of the vandalism; with the group emailing pictures of paint splattered on offices of seven politicians around Auckland last November - including Luxon’s Botany electorate office and that of the Epsom office of Act Party leader David Seymour.

Red paint or fake blood is splashed on David Seymour's Epsom electorate office, on November 23, last year.

Five other National MPs’ offices were also targeted - those belonging to Judith Collins, Simon Watts, Dan Bidois, Melissa Lee and Paul Goldsmith.

One of the more recent attacks was in late March, when Luxon’s Auckland office in Botany was vandalised for the third time in six months.