Sun 22 Feb 2015 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
UPDATED: Police say they will investigate the injuries a protestor received at last night’s Auckland Pride Parade. The protestor who was injured has tweeted from hospital today that she is in excruciating pain. "Looking like no need for surgery at this point. Humerus badly fractured. Feeling proud af." She adds "memory is hazy but fairly certain it was pride security and not the police who threw me." Police say in a statement they are “investigating alleged injuries to a protestor at the parade and will review footage taken of the incident as part of the enquiry”. She and two other people had made their way onto the parade route, holding up a banner reading ‘no pride in prisons’ protesting the housing of transgender prisoners, and expressing concerns about their safety in prison. While Corrections has changed its policy so that transgender prisoners can be housed in the prison which reflects their gender identity, anyone whose sex on their birth certificate has not been changed has to apply to the Chief Executive of Corrections to be moved. The group was also highlighting its concerns that the queer, Maori and Pasifika communities "are disproportionately harassed and targeted by police". There was a struggle as the three protestors were removed from the parade route by security staff, who used significant force. The protestors say their treatment amounted to brutality at the hands of security staff, and then police. The NZ Herald has posted some footage from the protest here (More footage is expected to be shown on the TV news tonight). A video which has been uploaded to YouTube has also been posted below. Bystanders claim the protestors assaulted security and police, and that a woman from the crowd was, possibly accidentally, punched in the chest. The injured protestor was ultimately brought to the ground on grass in the Glamstand, off the parade route, and handcuffed by a police officer. While the handcuffs were removed, and she did receive medical treatment, friends have expressed concern about how long this took. In a blog post, one of her fellow protestors says she was “howling in pain”. “I was desperate to get them off her but I’m tiny and couldn’t. They dragged her off the road to the side, where they sat on her while she was face down in the grass screaming in pain.” They say she was questioned for 25 minutes before receiving medical attention. “People were booing and hissing at us. Some woman walked past ... and said ‘good, I’m glad’.”“This is transmisogynistic, racist violence and at a PRIDE PARADE.” One person was arrested for breach of the peace. The protestors, witnesses, or anyone with video footage, is welcome to contact us via news@gaynz.com We will seek to contact Pride Parade organisers about the incident today
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 22nd February 2015 - 8:00am