in force at Tākaka meeting

tried to pin my arm back; I was trying to get out and I was hurt,” said Sonia, visibly shaking. “We’re here to celebrate Matariki and show we are an inclusive community.”

As the tensions eased, police officers took witness statements and viewed video footage taken by protestors. They did not, however, attempt to arrest Williams, and the meeting continued until the intermission on the two-hour mark. During the break, several people came out of the hall and did not return.

One person standing with the protestor group, who did not want to be identified, suggested there was a need for reasoned discussion on the emotive topic: “There may be a case for public debate around aspects of co-governance, but there is no room for this fearmonger and his circus.”

The second half of the four-hour sermon was relatively incident-free and ended with the police officers taking Williams to Tākaka Police Station for questioning about his alleged assault. When The GB Weekly followed up on Monday, a spokesperson at the NZ Police Media Centre stated: “Enquiries are ongoing.”