NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • Generate wealth weekly
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Protest against defence industry conference turns violent in Auckland

NZ Herald
15 Nov, 2016 08:06 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
A protest turned violent this morning when peace activists blocked a defence industry conference in central Auckland.

A protest turned violent this morning when peace activists blocked a defence industry conference in central Auckland.

The protesters formed a human blockade at the annual New Zealand Defence Industry Association Forum at the ANZ Viaduct Events Centre in an attempt to stop hundreds of delegates attending.

NZHerald Focus camera operator Tamara James said the vibe was "pretty intense".

Emotions escalated when the protesters climbed a big blue fence protecting the venue and pulled it down.

"The police are all making a big wall. I saw some people fall on the ground and get dragged around.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"[The protesters] were pushing the police to get into the area; there was lots of pushing."

James said the protesters were sitting in front of the police and chanting. She was not sure if people had been hurt but she saw someone holding their face.

Police can be seen shoving protesters backwards.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A police spokesperson says the actions of police are dictated by the situation presented to them.

Protest organisers Auckland Peace Action organised the blockade to stop the opening of the forum at 8am. More than 500 people have said they will join the protest.

Auckland Peace Action spokesperson Virginia Lambert said the conference was about how companies can make more money from "wars, disasters and human misery".

"The arms trade simply has no place in a civilised society.

Discover more

New Zealand

Protest at Auckland defence conference

15 Nov 07:00 PM
New Zealand

Bad weather on way for Wgtn, Kaikoura

15 Nov 07:32 PM
New Zealand|politics

Grannies' peaceful protest: Make tea, not war

20 Nov 06:29 AM
New Zealand

Peace group attempts to block weapons expo

18 Mar 09:20 AM

"We are taking non-violent direct action to stop this expo from happening."

The world's largest nuclear arms manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, is the main sponsor of the forum, which will be attended by arms dealers from all over the world.

Protesters will be addressed by former Auckland mayoral candidate Chloe Swarbrick, Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Helen Caldicott, Auckland councillor Cathy Casey and Patrick Hinchcliff, the grandson of the AUT University founder.

READ MORE:
Protesters forming human blockade

The blockade is part of the Week of Peace, a series of peace actions to counter the forum and presence of navy warships in Auckland for the 75th Anniversary celebrations of the Royal New Zealand Navy on the Waitemata Harbour.

"We want to work for peace, not prepare and fund wars," Lambert said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The anniversary celebrations were brought forward a day because of expected bad weather.

The New Zealand Defence Industry Association earlier said it is a "misunderstood" sector that generates $60 million for the economy.

NZDIA chair Bernie Diver said the forum will bring together 170 businesses from a sector that employs 2500 people and pays $125 million in wages.

Some suppliers provided weaponry, but he said the vast majority supplied New Zealand soldiers with equipment to undertake maintenance, repairs, logistics, engineering and other civil services.

"Close to 1000 people are employed nationally in food and services alone, and a further 600 in repair and maintenance contracts," he said.

At last year's forum in Wellington around 75 protesters, one dressed as the grim reaper, chanted "blood on your hands" attempted to stop delegates. Police arrested more than two dozen after scuffles turned violent.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This year Auckland Peace Action, which calls the defence industry "death merchants", has listed plans for non-violent protests on its Facebook page.

Diver said the "death merchants" label was "misguided".

Although most of the defence force's work was civil, such as emergency relief services after Monday's Kaikoura earthquake, Diver said "when they are in harm's way we want [New Zealand soldiers] to be the best equipped they can".

The two-day event at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre is also likely to draw more foreign dignitaries as it coincides with the Royal New Zealand Navy's 75th anniversary celebrations.

- with AAP

Save
    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Politics

NZ Pacific aid efforts complicated by exclusion of world powers

New Zealand

'My bloody hero': Amputee leaps into river to save fellow whitebaiter

Crime

'Descent into hell': Dark details released as mum admits killing children


Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Premium
NZ Pacific aid efforts complicated by exclusion of world powers
Politics

NZ Pacific aid efforts complicated by exclusion of world powers

Christopher Luxon flies tonight from Auckland to the Solomon Islands ahead of PIF 2025.

09 Sep 05:11 AM
'My bloody hero': Amputee leaps into river to save fellow whitebaiter
New Zealand

'My bloody hero': Amputee leaps into river to save fellow whitebaiter

09 Sep 05:00 AM
'Descent into hell': Dark details released as mum admits killing children
Crime

'Descent into hell': Dark details released as mum admits killing children

09 Sep 04:54 AM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP