Hawke's Bay's weekend of protest: Peace, unity, tractors, and confusion

A tractor makes its way through Hastings as part of a convoy of protesters on Sunday. Photo / Paul Taylor

Commemorations, protest and confusion - at times Hawke's Bay felt fractious to walk around at the weekend, and at times it felt full of warmth.

The highest profile of the widespread demonstrations was protesters driving tractors criss-crossing the streets of Hastings as part of the nationwide Groundswell, at times confused as to where they were going, and at others confused as to whether they were even involved.

With Covid restrictions preventing a gathering at the end of the convoy it was unclear which vehicles were involved in the protest and which were not, and one person apparently involved leaning from a window asking a reporter if they were still in the right queue – "left or right".

A sign at the Hastings Groundswell protest. Photo / Paul Taylor

About the same time, there was a different sort of "bring people together" as mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Tukituki MP Anna Lorck and Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairman Rick Barker and representatives of a range of diverse cultures across the city were involved in installing a collection of 43 "peace poles", each bearing the words "May peace prevail on earth", variously in English and three other languages.

There had been similar diversity in Napier the previous day, when a group aligning with the self-titled Freedom and Rights Coalition staged a rally at Anderson Park, another group ascended Bluff Hill in continued protestation of live cattle exports through the Port of Napier below, and about 60 people joined veteran social justice advocate Pat Magill in possibly his last Walk for Unity.

Hazlehurst led the peace poles ceremony and said it was a wonderful occasion to celebrate peace and the district's multicultural community.

There was a good Groundswell turnout in Dannevirke as the farming community made its voice heard. Photo / Leanne Warr

"We are so proud to have this installation in Hastings – peace poles/pou can be found all over the world but this is a first for our district," she said.

"At this time in our history, as it has been in the past, promoting peace for the wellbeing of our community is hugely important, and these poles are a wonderful way to bring us together and understand each other more."

Veteran campaigner Pat Magill's perhaps final Unity Walk was a low-key affair with a message needed more than ever. Photo / Paul Taylor

Representatives of five whānau who had taken part in hīkoi with the now 95-year-old Pat Magill since 1990, including some even some dating back to his days establishing the Downtown Youth facilities in Napier in the 1970s, were among those at the Napier Pilot City Trust's celebration on Marine Parade.

A small pocket of protesters made the Saturday decision to protest a live export ship's presence in Napier Port. Photo / Paul Taylor

About 60 people took part in a walk to the Soundshell with Trust secretary Mark Cleary saying some would have stayed away, knowing the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 crisis.