Anti-hate speech protesters made their feelings known at Julian Batchelor’s Stop Co-Governance meetings in Lowburn and Wanaka last week.
Mr Batchelor, of Auckland, objects to Maori and the government working in partnership and has been on a speaking tour throughout the South Island.
During his tour of the South, Scouts NZ shut down a meeting in Dunedin, and Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan told Mr Batchelor and his entourage they were not welcome in Balclutha.
Mr Batchelor told attendees a dispute over land he owned in Hikurangi was the catalyst for the Stop Co-Governance campaign.
He said he had been motivated to begin his campaign after clashes with Maori in Hikurangi, where he owned a holiday rental property. The property was last year designated wahi tapu (places sacred to Maori in the traditional, spiritual, religious, ritual or mythological sense).
That was the tipping point for him, he said.
Mr Batchelor said he was planning to have more than 100 meetings around the country and get 100,000 people to gather in Auckland before the election.
Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan lasted 20 minutes at the Lowburn meeting before he walked out, feeling physically unwell.
Mr Cadogan did not enjoy his time at the meeting at Lowburn Hall, where about 25 people gathered.
‘‘I left because the poison being peddled was starting to make me feel ill,’’ he said.
‘‘Overall, though, I was glad so few Central Otago people turned up to hear this man’s sermon.’’
Outside the hall, about 15 people gathered to protest Mr Batchelor’s views. Among them was Vincent Community Board member Jayden Cromb.
Mr Cromb said he was there to show support for the protesters.
‘‘At the end of the day we’ve got to have conversations which are polite, tolerant and fair but from what I have heard this is not.’’
The protesters were photographed by Mr Batchelor before the meeting and challenged by one man as he headed inside.
In Wanaka three anti-hate speech protesters with placards and a dog called Ted stood in fog and drizzle to greet more than 100 people as they arrived.
Inside The Venue, three male protesters spoke out as Mr Batchelor criticised Maori journalist Mikaela Matenga, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, Leader of the Opposition Chris Luxon, Sir Tipene O’Regan, of Ngai Tahu, and other politicians.
One — whom The News did not get an opportunity to approach and identify — left before halftime, after a heated verbal exchange with Mr Batchelor and some people in the audience.
When the protester approached Mr Batchelor to admonish him about his attitude to Maori, the bulk of the audience began chanting ‘‘out, out, out’’, while a woman directed the protester towards the door.
The protester asked Mr Batchelor what he meant when he referred to ‘‘good Maori’’.
A woman in the audience answered that question.
‘‘A polite and respectful person who believes in free speech,’’ she shouted, while another shouted the protester was himself ‘‘racist’’ and a ‘‘hypocrite’’.
