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Posie Parker doused with juice, quits Auckland rally; Wellington event cancelled

Author
Raphael Franks, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Sat, 25 Mar 2023, 9:11am

Posie Parker doused with juice, quits Auckland rally; Wellington event cancelled

Author
Raphael Franks, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Sat, 25 Mar 2023, 9:11am

More than 2000 counter-protesters - including one armed with a bottle of juice - have seen British anti-trans activist听听aborting her central Auckland rally.

And she is now considering cancelling a planned Wellington speaking event, revealing that a threatening note had been left under the door of her Auckland hotel room.

In ugly scenes Keen-Minshull - who was in the country as part of her Let Women Speak tour aimed to support women鈥檚 rights - was drowned out by protesters galvanised by the LGBTQIA+ community.

As she was standing on the rotunda stage at Albert Park preparing to speak, one counter-protester rushed towards her and poured a bottle of juice over her head.

The protester then sprayed more on one of Keen-Minshull鈥檚 security guards.

Skirmishes broke out with pushing and shoving between the counter-protest group and Keen-Minshull鈥檚 much smaller entourage.

A barrier erected to try and keep the two factions apart was pushed down.

The juice-hurling protester was removed by security but Keen-Minshull鈥檚 attempts to speak were drowned out by drums, chants of 鈥済o home鈥 and, at one point, a Whitney Houston song playing over the loudspeakers.

Prior to the event, Keen-Minshull said she was in New Zealand to 鈥済ive women who feel gaslit by the state [the ability] to speak about the rights they are losing鈥.

After the ugly scenes at Albert Park, including physical clashes involving the counter-protesters, she has indicated she may now cancel her Wellington leg of the tour set for Sunday.

In a live Youtube video from the back of the police car she left, in she discusses whether she should travel to the capital.

鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 time say 鈥榳e can鈥檛 do it鈥,鈥 she says.

She asked the police officer driving the patrol car to take her to Auckland Central Police Station as she was wary of returning to her hotel accomodation after a threatening note had been left under her door.

Counter-protesters are claiming victory after New Zealand鈥檚 LQBTQIA+ galvanised amid a backdrop of increasing animosity.

Auckland woman Kendall was among the counter-protesters.

鈥漈his is where we come together, right. It鈥檚 not new, it鈥檚 not surprising, it鈥檚 really frustrating that it鈥檚 been allowed to land on our shores.鈥

Her message to Keen-Minshull was: 鈥漎ou don鈥檛 speak for me, you don鈥檛 speak for women, you don鈥檛 speak for my community, you do not speak for this country. Go home.鈥

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker had liquid, believed to be soup, thrown at her as she attempted to make her way to the rotunda at Albert Park, Auckland. Photo / Dean Purcell

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull aka Posie Parker had liquid, believed to be soup, thrown at her as she attempted to make her way to the rotunda at Albert Park, Auckland. Photo / Dean Purcell

Keen-Minshull arrived at Auckland Airport last night after a last-ditch court case to block her entry to NZ failed. When asked if she felt safe, Keen-Minshull said she felt New Zealand was 鈥渋nsane鈥.

She said she expected trans rights activists to be at her event and claimed 鈥渕en [trans women] would come out. They鈥檝e already threatened to be aggressive.鈥

Keen-Minshull鈥檚 controversial tour has seen her face criticism from politicians and other social commentators for her assertion people cannot change their sex.

She argues she is campaigning for women鈥檚 rights - but opponents say her transphobic rhetoric is a threat to trans people鈥檚 rights and safety.

Shaneel Lal said trans people in Aotearoa 鈥渄eserve to feel safe in their home鈥. Lal is calling for people to join the counter-protest today - they say it is designed to stand up against hate and to protect the vulnerable.

Anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - aka Posie Parker - arrives at Auckland Airport. March 24, 2023. Photo / Dean Purcell

Anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - aka Posie Parker - arrives at Auckland Airport. March 24, 2023. Photo / Dean Purcell

Keen-Minshull鈥檚 controversial tour has seen her face criticism from politicians and other social commentators for her assertion people cannot change their sex.

She argues she is campaigning for women鈥檚 rights - but opponents say her transphobic rhetoric is a threat to trans people鈥檚 rights and safety.

Shaneel Lal said trans people in Aotearoa 鈥渄eserve to feel safe in their home鈥. Lal is calling for people to join the counter-protest today - they say it is designed to stand up against hate and to protect the vulnerable.

Keen-Minshull has also faced criticism over the attendance of neo-Nazis at her rally in Melbourne recently. She told the听贬别谤补濒诲听she and her ideas were not associated with Nazism.

The presence of a group of men doing Nazi salutes follows Keen-Minshull鈥檚 history of having been interviewed by fringe neo-Nazi media internationally several times since she first built a public presence.

础苍听听was also earlier launched calling for her to be kept out of the country.

Before leaving Australia, she told the听贬别谤补濒诲听she had been contacted by police ahead of her arrival.

鈥淭he police are worried about my safety in your country,鈥 she said.

鈥淭hey want to know where I am and make sure I鈥檝e got contacts for them.鈥

Security company cancels

It was earlier听that a New Zealand security firm pulled out at the last minute ahead of one of her public rallies, leaving Keen-Minshull facing a $10,000 bill to hire a replacement.

The activist said her Australian tour had been dogged by last-minute cancellations from companies, including security and sound system operators.

Anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - aka Posie Parker - arrives at Auckland Airport. March 24, 2023. Photo / Dean Purcell

Anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - aka Posie Parker - arrives at Auckland Airport. March 24, 2023. Photo / Dean Purcell

鈥淎 company in Wellington just refused, just won鈥檛 protect us,鈥 Keen-Minshull said.

She blamed the situation on being badly defamed because 鈥渕ost people really hate women鈥.

She also revealed in a lengthy YouTube address the need for half a dozen minders for the New Zealand leg of the tour, which kicks off tomorrow in Auckland at Albert Park.

鈥淚 am so looking forward to meeting the women in New Zealand.鈥

High Court case fails

Rainbow community groups Gender Minorities Aotearoa, InsideOUT Ko膩ra and Auckland Pride jointly filed a judicial review application yesterday seeking an interim order to prevent Keen-Minshull鈥檚 arrival.

After a two-hour hearing in the High Court at Wellington this morning, which heard from the coalition of rainbow groups, Crown Law and intervenors the New Zealand Free Speech Union, High Court Justice David Gendall declined the application.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) announced earlier this week, after a review of whether Keen-Minshull should be allowed in, that she did not meet the high threshold to be considered an excluded person under Section 16 of the Immigration Act 2009.

The INZ assessment took into account the events in Melbourne, where her speaking event drew a crowd, including people who were seen giving Nazi salutes and shouting slurs, Minister for Immigration Michael Wood said earlier this week.

Anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - aka Posie Parker - arrives at Auckland Airport. March 24, 2023. Photo / Dean Purcell

Anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull - aka Posie Parker - arrives at Auckland Airport. March 24, 2023. Photo / Dean Purcell

鈥淟ike many New Zealanders I would prefer it if Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull never set foot in New Zealand. I find many of her views repugnant, and am concerned by the way in which she courts some of the most vile people and groups around, including white supremacists,鈥 Wood has said.

鈥淎s we look towards her events for this coming weekend, the welfare and safety of our transgender community is front of mind. Event organisers maintain the primary responsibility to ensure they run a safe and secure event and police have advised they will also be in attendance to ensure public safety.

鈥淚 condemn her inflammatory, vile and incorrect worldviews, and will always stand alongside those New Zealanders who use their own right to free speech against those who wish to take society backwards.鈥

In dismissing the application, Justice Gendall said he had sympathy for the applicants.

鈥淢y sympathy for the applicants鈥 position is grounded largely in the information provided by the applicants and the Crown, which to my eye, appears to clearly raise issues of public order.

鈥淭his is a finely balanced decision. I accept the applicants have indeed raised a possible case upon which it might be said to be arguable that no reasonable minister could have concluded that Section 16 of the Immigration Act is not to be invoked.鈥

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