In a letter, Davidson requested that police commissioner
Andrew Coster end the testing of armed officers. She also called for Coster to acknowledge New Zealand's challenges with racism and discrimination.[5] On 9 June, Coster announced that the
New Zealand Police would be scrapping their armed response teams after public feedback and consultation with community forum groups.[6][7][8] However, just a day after Coster announced the Armed Response Teams would be axed, he floated the idea of arming the police with
sponge bullets instead. Emilie Rākete, a spokesperson for the Arms Down campaign, responded by saying that sponge bullets are extremely dangerous, and will be used against Māori more than any other group if they are rolled out.[9]
Green MP
Golriz Ghahraman stated, "The disease of state-based discrimination is not constrained to American borders. We must acknowledge that here in New Zealand, at every single step of the justice system, Māori face increased discrimination. This means that Māori experience more arrests, more prosecutions, longer jail sentences, more brutality, and deaths, than
Pākehā in similar circumstances."[1]
Civil society
On 9 June 2020, the
Akaroa–based bar and restaurant "Bully Hayes Restaurant" announced that it would be changing its name after several historians including Scott Hamilton criticised its namesake
William "Bully" Hayes' involvement in
blackbirding in the Pacific during the late 19th century.[10][11]
On 10 June,
Marist College in Auckland attracted publicity after teachers reportedly tore down Black Lives Matter posters. Students organised a nine minutes silence for George Floyd and started an online petition to highlight racial issues at the college, alleging that several teachers had been racist towards students.[12][13] In response, Prime Minister Ardern voiced support for the students' activism. In addition, a formal complaint was lodged against Marist College.[14] On 16 June, 30 students staged a peaceful protest against alleged "systematic racism" at the college.[15]
On 12 June, the
North Island city of
Hamilton removed a
statue of British Captain
John Fane Charles Hamilton at the request of local
Māori iwi
Waikato Tainui. Captain Hamilton was controversial among Māori for his role at the
Battle of Gate Pā during the
New Zealand Wars. The statue's removal has been linked to calls for the removal of statues of figures associated with colonialism and racism in New Zealand and the world, which had been precipitated by the murder of George Floyd. [16][17] In response, the Māori Party's co-leader and
Te Tai Hauāuru candidate
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer called on the Government to establish an inquiry to identify and remove what she regarded as racist monuments, statues and names associated with New Zealand's colonial era.[17][18] The
Marlborough District's Deputy Mayor Nadine Taylor has also called for the renaming of
Picton due to his controversial
governorship of Trinidad. Calls to remove statues were opposed by Deputy Prime Minister
Winston Peters and
National Party Member of Parliament
Simeon Brown, who described them as a "wave of wokeism" and "erasing history."[19]
On 13 June, a statue of
CaptainJames Cook in the North Island town of
Gisborne was vandalised with graffiti promoting Black and Māori rights and swastikas.[20] On 15 June, the leasehold upstairs venue to
Dunedin's Captain Cook Hotel announced that it would be changing its name in response to both Captain James Cook's controversial legacy among Māori and the Black Lives Matter protests sparked by George Floyd's murder.[21][22] The building and downstairs restaurant will keep its name.[23]
In addition, statues of
Queen Victoria and Scottish poet
Robert Burns were targeted by protesters in Dunedin in mid-June due to the former's association with British colonialism and the latter's alleged complicity in slavery.[24] On 18 June, it was reported that the
Rangitikei District Council had covered up a statue of Captain Cook in
Marton pending a decision about its future in response to the public debate around colonial era statues, monuments, and place names.[25]
Calls to remove monuments to controversial colonial figures also triggered a call by LifeNet charity director Brendan Malone to remove a monument to Māori chief and
Ngāti Toa military leader
Te Rauparaha in
Ōtaki since had enslaved, tortured, and eaten members of rival Māori tribes. In response,
Victoria University of Wellington historian Dr Arini Loader and former
Labour Party candidate Shane Te Pou disputed Malone's attempts to draw a moral equivalence with colonial figures such as Captain
John Fane Charles Hamilton, arguing that Te Rauparaha had supported a local church and that other
iwi including Rauparaha's former victims recognised his historical importance.[26]
Organisations
Arms Down NZ stated that they saw a parallel in the plight of African Americans and the indigenous communities in New Zealand in regards to police brutality and racism.[1]
[28][29] The Auckland event was organised by several
African New Zealanders including Mahlete Tekeste, African-American expatriate Kainee Simone, sportsperson
Israel Adesanya, and musician
Mazbou Q. Speakers linked the issues faced by African Americans to those faced by
Māori and
Pasifika peoples in New Zealand.[30] The American flag in front of the consulate general appeared to have been removed prior to the protest.[31] Protesters had signs including "Be kind", "Silence is Betrayal", and "Do Better, Be Better". Participants in this protest were in violation of
social distancing protocols in place for the
COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand which limits gatherings to fewer than 100 people.[2] Protesters performed a
haka.[1] A primary school teacher named Ethan Aloiai who wore a "
Make America Great Again" hat had his hat seized and burned by protesters. Despite public interest, the Teaching Council declined to pursue disciplinary action against Aloiai.[32][33]
Queenstown: 150 people gathered near the Queenstown war memorial on June 8 holding up signs such as "Black lives matter" and "White silence is violence."[35]
Palmerston North: About 30 people protested at
The Square.[36] A separate group of 40 people peacefully protested outside the police station.[36]
Tauranga: About 25 to 30 protesters marched down The Strand.[37]
Wellington: Over 100 people marched from
Frank Kitts Park to
Parliament, Police National Headquarters, and the
US Embassy.[38] About 2000 people attended a vigil in the evening on Parliament's lawn, despite pouring rain.[38]
13 June
Hamilton (Kirikiriroa): As noted above, this protest was preceded by removal of the controversial Hamilton statue. At least 969 attended this event,[39] though TV One News said 959.[40] Drone footage suggests the numbers may have been rather higher.[41] The hikoi started in
Memorial Park and ended in
Garden Place.[39]