1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: But afternoon, Brian Tarnagi says he is still planning to 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,320 Speaker 1: protest by walking across Auckland's Harbor Bridge tomorrow, despite a 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: police promise to stop it. He's urging crowds to meet 4 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: him at Victoria Park in the central city tomorrow for 5 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: a protest in opposition to the COVID nineteen restrictions. Superintendent 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: Naila Hassan is the way to Matar District Police Commander 7 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: and with. 8 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 2: Us he Naila Hi, Ever, good afternoon. 9 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: Do you reckon he is? Is he bluffing or is 10 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: he still going to try it? 11 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 2: Oh? Look, I have no idea. We're just we're responding 12 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 2: to the indications that have been given by that group. 13 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: They applied for a permit through Mjedta, they didn't get 14 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 2: the permit to march over the bridge, and our job 15 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: is to make sure that we minimize disruption and keep 16 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: people safe from the way we will be doing that 17 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 2: tomorrow is by preventing anyone from marching over the Auckland 18 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 2: Harbor Bridge. 19 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: How are you going to prevent it? 20 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: We have a significant police of an operation underway. We've 21 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 2: been planning us for a while and we have been 22 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 2: in communication with that group, requesting them to consider an 23 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 2: alternative location, a place where they can protest peacefully and morfully. 24 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,080 Speaker 2: At the stage they haven't taken up that offer, and. 25 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: Would you go so far as to put up cordon's 26 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: to stop them. 27 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 2: We have a significant operation underway, Heather. I'm sure you 28 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 2: can appreciate. We'd prefer to keep the sort of operational 29 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 2: details close to our chest, but we will be ready 30 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 2: to respond to that group if they decide to march 31 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 2: onto the Harbor Bridge. I read will fortunately cause disruption 32 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: to the community in and around the Harbor Bridge, unfortunately 33 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: and lower CBD. 34 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: Okay, I read somewhere that you've actually drafted in offices 35 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: from around the country to help with that. Is that right? 36 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 2: We have? 37 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: Yes, we have how many? 38 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 2: Look again, I'd prefer not to go into the operational detail, 39 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: but what I can say there is that we have 40 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 2: a number of specialist staff available to ensure that we 41 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 2: respond accordingly to this protest tomorrow. 42 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: So why is it that you guys are taking such 43 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: a tough line on him When the pro Palestinian protest 44 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: was allowed to go and the anti Treaty principles Bill 45 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: Hikoy was allowed to go across the Harbor Bridge. 46 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 2: That's a very reasonable question. Look, attempts to use the 47 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 2: Harbor Bridge as an arena for protests seems to have 48 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: increased over recent years. It's quite a unique environment, as 49 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 2: you know, and it's not the same as say, protesting 50 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 2: on Queen Street. And yes, we have facilitated some protest 51 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 2: activity in the past, but since the Equalis we have 52 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 2: learnt about more about the impacts of large groups of 53 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 2: marches going over the bridge during our discussions with MTTA 54 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 2: and their advice, which he may assume in the media 55 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 2: last week, was that it can cause damage to this 56 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 2: piece of critical infrastructure and our job is to ensure 57 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 2: that that doesn't happen and is the people safe. So 58 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 2: for that reason we've given what we know. We're putting 59 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 2: a line in the sand for this protest, but also 60 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: in the future protests seeking to march across the Auckland Harbor. 61 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 2: That's correct. So please are making it clear to any 62 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: group that from now on no access will be supported 63 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 2: or facilitated. Now I can explain that a little bit more. 64 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: In the past we had people marching over the clip ons. 65 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 2: Now in conversations with MZTA, we know that that is 66 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 2: not only incredibly risky. The side barriers are only nine 67 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 2: hundred high. Not only is it incredibly risky, but the 68 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 2: impact on the infrastructure when people march kind of has 69 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 2: they get them beat and it starts, it can cause 70 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:56,839 Speaker 2: damage to the infrastructure. As a result, MGTA have made 71 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 2: it really clear you couldn't have people marching on the 72 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 2: clip ons. Now if we were to facilitate something going 73 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 2: through the center structure of the bridge that will literally 74 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 2: cause the whole Harbor Bridge to be closed. We're not 75 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 2: willing to cause that much disruption or be involved in 76 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: that much disruption for the commuting public of working. So 77 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: we've had to draw a line in the sand. It 78 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 2: happens to be on this occasion with this. 79 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: Protest, Nyla, thank you for taking the time to talk 80 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: us through that. Superintendent Nila Hassan, who's the White Matar 81 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: District Police commanded. 82 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive. 83 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:33,840 Speaker 1: Listen live to news talks they'd be from four pm weekdays, 84 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.