Priests who were chained to Finance Minister Nicola Willis’ office in Johnsonville, Wellington, have concluded their protest after 32 hours.
“We leave with our message ringing louder than ever: further sanctions on Israel are an urgent step New Zealand must take,” they said.
Earlier today, while still chained to Willis’ office, they said they wouldn’t move until they met her to discuss sanctioning Israel.
The six were chained to the office since yesterday. They were also fasting and wearing adult nappies to hold their post.
Willis this morning declined their offer to break bread.
The temperature in Wellington dropped to 10C overnight while the priests remained.
Reverend Mel McKenzie said this morning the group was in “good spirits”, although they were “tired and hungry” from the fast that began yesterday.
Reverend Paul Fletcher shared on social media it was a “good thing I’m wearing an adult nappy” as he sat chained outside the office.
The five Anglican priests and one Catholic priest extended their invitation to Willis this morning.
“We continue to invite the Hon Nicola Willis to come and meet with us here in her office and discuss our desire for the Government to take stronger action against Israel’s war crimes and ongoing occupation of Palestine.
“We also invite her to come and break bread with us at 10am communion, and to consider those who have no bread to break in Gaza today, and the Israeli Government that is starving them.”
A spokesperson for Willis said her schedule was too full to meet the group and claimed the protesters were blocking the entrance to the office, which they have denied.
Reverend Andy Hickman said it was “such a special night” with dozens of locals stopping by to offer encouragement as well as blankets and hot water bottles.
“We had no issues at all, lots of people joined us.”
Hickman said police visited at various points through the night but did not mention moving the group along as “they were mainly checking on us that we were okay”.
“We will continue to be chained to the door. We want answers, we want promises, we want some resolutions.”
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson publicly showed her support for the priests this afternoon, sharing an image of herself holding a sign in Parliament that read “sanctions speak louder than words”.
The sign belonged to the clergy who had chained themselves to Willis’ office.
Yesterday, Willis said that while she supported the right for peaceful protest, she did not support the blocking of public access to her office.
Hickman said they were not blocking people from entering the office and had offered to reimburse people who were inconvenienced.
“We had communicated with her team that we would pay for the coffee for those who had appointments,” but that offer wasn’t taken up.
“So far as we know no one was hindered from entering.”
Police said yesterday a small group was prevented access to the electorate office.
“No one was trespassed or arrested.”
McKenzie told Herald NOW’s Ryan Bridge that people had been delivering gifts of food, despite their fast.
She said they had only had “brief and positive” interactions with police, along with very positive interactions with the public.
“It’s been very peaceful... lots of children. I’m looking at beautiful young children now in front of me. It’s been a lovely community gathering.”
She said the offer to break bread with them this morning was extended to all locals, not just Willis, and they would be finishing with a prayer for Gaza.
“I feel so deeply that every life is incredibly precious. I’m a mother myself of three children, and we just wonder how many more children have to die before we’ll show moral courage as a nation and impose these sanctions on the Israeli Government.”
Anglican Archdeacon Martin Robinson, who was also at Willis’ office, said yesterday: “We are heartbroken to watch the starvation of children and bombing of entire families in Gaza while it is clear New Zealand is not doing all it can to intervene and put pressure on Israel to uphold international law.
“As priests, we believe every child is made in the image of God. Our faith motivates us to peacefully resist injustice and to call for action that can pressure change.”
Meanwhile, two Anglican priests and two Baptist pastors staged a demonstration at Health Minister Simeon Brown’s office in Pakūranga before being trespassed yesterday.
Police said they served five trespass notices “on a small group”.
The group left the building without incident.
The protest action follows a march in Auckland on Saturday by 20,000 protesters calling for Government action against Israel.