Whakatane Hikoi Draws Huge Crowd

TVNZ
Oct 19, 2007
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1318360/1408876

Around 1,500 people have taken to the streets in Whakatane to protest police anti-terror action during the week. Organizers of the hikoi are angry at the way they say children were caught up in the armed police raids.

The crowd marched through Whakatane to the council buildings and onto the police station.

Many children were involved in the march, with some wearing placards carrying sentiments such as "We are children, not terrorists".

When the hikoi reached the Whakatane Police Station, children from Ruatoki did a haka.

Tuhoe elders also spoke, voicing their concerns to police, saying that their children were terrorized. However, there is still much debate as to whether the armed offenders did board a school bus, as reported. Police have denied this but school bus driver, Issac Nuku, said was adamant that an armed offender had boarded the bus he was driving on Monday. He said that the man was carrying a gun.

Locally police are saying they have to live and work in the community and are open to working with the Tuhoe people.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, 11 people are appearing in court in connection with the raids.

Around 100 people gathered outside Auckland's District Court to show their support for the seven people who are appearing. Four will appear in Wellington on Friday too.

They are appearing on a number of fire arm charges under the terrorism act. Six, including one woman, have name suppression. The seventh, Jamie Lockett, was granted bail earlier in the week but it was then revoked.