Indistinguishable Parties

Lindsay Mitchell
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com

Lindsay Mitchell has been researching and commenting on welfare since 2001. Many of her articles have been published in mainstream media and she has appeared on radio, tv and before select committees discussing issues relating to welfare. Lindsay is also an artist who works under commission and exhibits at Wellington, New Zealand, galleries.

From the parliamentary occupation site this morning, a row of caricatures. I guess to the protestors the parties are indistinguishable. Their response is uniform. ‘We want you to go away.’ By my first-hand observation and conversations with protestors, be assured. They will not.

Speakers remind protestors to be clean, peaceful, tidy, and sober. Above all, to be individuals with their own opinions and thoughts but be unified on why they are there. To end the mandates. Be as one on that message.

Every 15 minutes a trespass notice from Trevor Mallard is broadcast and raucous drumming, whistling and singing drowns it out. Police are wandering around the crowd and engaging amiably. They are offered food and tattoos are compared. Both sides seem to be bending over backwards to put Thursday’s violence behind them. It is quite a remarkable turnaround.

Update: On NewstalkZB this morning Minster Megan Woods and Labour MP Mark Mitchell were both singing the same song, bad-mouthing the protestors at length. Woods stated emphatically, “This is a violent protest”.

Thanks to Rick for this video, a police officer telling what he has seen in his patrols: