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[…] this protest left no doubt that fringe elements took advantage of genuine protesters and essentially kicked them out of their own protest.
Police spent 23 days attempting to negotiate and de-escalate and soon came to realise there was an entrenched group within the protest ranks that would never leave without being forced to.
A significant number of these people had resorted to the disgusting levels of violence and thuggery we all witnessed. […] – some were just spoiling for a fight. Well, they got it.
Police meticulously planned the operation and prepared for a variety of contingencies, a key one being to wait until the numbers on the lawn had dropped to a manageable size. When it did, they moved in and, ultimately, used the type of force that would never have been acceptable in the early days of this event.
To take just one day – albeit a long, tiring and very physical one – to bring the mayhem to a halt is testament to the planning and execution.
[…] Without the professional, courageous and relentless actions of the Police staff deployed to rid the capital’s iconic centre of chaos and disorder, a plan would remain just a plan.
So, well done to you all – from raw recruits to 40-year veterans, you stood up and delivered in a way we can all be incredibly proud of.
People from all over New Zealand have contacted the Police Association asking for their gratitude to be passed on to you all.
March 2, 2022, will, whether we like it or not, be remembered in the history of Aotearoa, but also in the history of our Police for a job bloody well done.
https://www.policeassn.org.nz/news/presidents-column-outstanding-work-restores-our-capital#/
Read more here. Discuss it on The BFD.
