Dame Jacinda Ardern to speak at Auckland Writers Festival, security on alert as anti-mandate group plans protest

Security has been tightened at the Auckland Writers Festival, with Dame Jacinda Ardern set to make a guest appearance. Photo / Ockham New Zealand Book Awards

Disruption is expected at the Auckland Writers Festival tonight as Dame Jacinda Ardern makes an in-person appearance to speak about her book.

The event begins at 7.30pm at Auckland’s Aotea Centre, with anti-mandate and alternative media group Counterspin Media planning a pop-up protest outside the venue.

Police told the Herald they’re aware of the writers’ event and will monitor and “deal with any issues if they arise”.

Event attendees have been advised of heightened security measures, including additional screening, wand scanning, and bags larger than A4 size not being permitted.

There is also a warning that those who leave the venue during the event will not be readmitted and anyone causing disruption will be removed immediately.

The former Prime Minister will be talking about her book A Different Kind of Power, winner of the E.H. McCormick Prize for General Non-Fiction, which is for the best first book of general non-fiction.

Counterspin Media posted to its Facebook page last week, notifying of three pop-up protests, as well as an after-party.

The post included the following wording: “5:30pm SHARP!

“Pop-up team and volunteers assemble with banners + signs outside Aotea Centre Queen St front entrance to greet attendees queuing for the Jacinda Ardern event in the Aotea Centre’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre.”

Protest groups are expected to form in front of the centre, at the Myers St carpark and on Mayoral Drive.

Ardern had been back in the country for promotional tours of her memoir, which won $3000 in prizemoney at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards on Wednesday. Ardern has donated the cash to literacy charity Read New Zealand Te Pou Muramura.