Video shows protesters lighting Parliament fire

March 3, 2022

Video footage shows protesters lighting a fire that spread across Parliament grounds, as police moved in to clear them from the site they occupied for 23 days.

Police say forensic investigations are underway to determine those responsible for the arson and have started the investigation phase following Wednesday's operation to reopen the area of Wellington affected by protest activity.

"Police have today established a crime scene around Parliament grounds and the surrounding area," a police statement said on Thursday evening.

"The investigation will focus on identifying criminal offending related to the protest and occupation activity.

"Police have now arrested 100 people after the mammoth effort, including 11 today, charged with arson, grievous bodily harm, inciting violence, theft, assault, trespass and obstruction.

"Over 500 police staff were involved in clearing out the protesters, 40 of whom were injured, police said in a statement on Thursday.

Read more: Mass of debris strewn across Parliament grounds after protest

"Eight of the officers required hospital treatment and have now been discharged."

It comes as allegations have emerged that police started the fires after knocking a generator over.

However, protesters were filmed throwing wooden pallets, tents and chairs to exacerbate the fire started in a tent near police.

Footage also shows the police line was at least five metres from the blaze when it began.

Police said on Wednesday that the protesters had "deliberately" started the fire.

The footage shows some upset protesters trying to stop others from throwing items onto the fire to keep it going.

In different areas on the grounds, some were seen lighting a wooden pallet by a tree on fire and another was spreading fire to a tent from a smaller blaze.

Tents were lit on fire, with gas canisters creating loud explosions amid the violence directed towards police.

"There are words I cannot use in this environment from what I saw today," Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday.

Police Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers said police made 89 arrests on Wednesday.

The scenes at Parliament were "extreme and violent" the Prime Minister said, after tensions erupted as tents were lit on fire, bricks thrown at police and LPG bottles thrown on flames.

A total of 87 people were arrested for a range of offences including trespass, possession of restricted weapons and wilful damage on Wednesday.

Read more: PM saddened to see Parliament 'desecrated' by protest violence

"The biggest thing that people can do is to come back into town, to go to a cafe, to go to a shop, to support those businesses - to support those dreams those businesses are about," Ardern said

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