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National | Protest

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei tells Pukekawa occupiers to go home

Occupiers staging protests in the Auckland Domain are on borrowed time but remain defiant.

At midday on Tuesday the time for the protesters, who have occupied the Auckland Domain following protests on the weekend, was up, although they are continuing to occupy.

This is the fourth day that protesters have occupied the area, and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei spokesman Joe Pihema has said to the protesters: "Return to your own mountains, that you may be cleansed by the winds of Tāwhirimātea."

He says there people there from other iwi claiming to speak for Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, "I'm worried about our people. Some of them are living in ignorance. Those people who are occupying think that that is their whenua."

"Some descendants are angry. They are hurt by some of the statements of the protesters, who say this is their land. Is that right?"

'Amazing mahi'

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust chair Marama Royal encourages all those who genuinely care for their communities, to do all they can to prevent the further spread of Covid 19. She said: “While we understand very deeply that protest action is sometimes necessary, we do not believe this is the time or place for activity that will only increase the risk of spreading infection and misinformation”.

Omicron has hit Auckland like a wave, with almost 20,000 cases in New Zealand reported.

Royal says the main focus for the iwi is the health and well-being of the tribe.

"We are incredibly proud of the amazing mahi being conducted by our kaimahi across our health services to protect our whānau and many others in the communities we share, from the mate urutā that is Covid-19, through vaccination, education and other support."

"At this very moment, Omicron has infected several of our whānau homes. There are now very few among our people who do not have whānau who are infected and are isolating, or who have recovered from the impacts of the virus. We know this will only get worse in the days and weeks ahead."

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Protest