Protest Over At Poultry Farm

Vehicle road access to the poultry farm, Zeagold Foods Ltd, at Waikouaiti, has now been cleared with Police having removed three protestors from the scene.

The protestors were part of an original group of 15 protesting about animal welfare issues, which had been blocking road access to the poultry farm entrance since early this morning.

The protestors erected a tripod steel-framed scaffolding structure approximately 7m high on the main access road to the property. Two female protestors climbed to the top of the structure and chained themselves to it. The structure blocked access to the plant.

One female protester had also chained herself to the gate of the property.

Police have been at the site since this morning monitoring the situation, talking with protestors and the property owner.

Police had talked with the two protestors who were on top of the structure on two occasions to ask them to come down. On the second occasion the protestors agreed that they would come down if Police assisted with cutting the chains that secured them to the structure.

At about 1.30pm, after cutting the chains that secured them to the structure, Police used a cherry picker to assist the two protestors down. The protestors came down without resistance. They then dismantled the structure under Police supervision.

The two women were then arrested, as was the third woman who had been chained to a gate.  All three, aged 22, 33, and 43, are from Auckland and face charges of obstructing a public way. They have been bailed to appear in Court at a later date.

The end of the protest has meant that access for heavy vehicles to the site has now resumed.

"The Police priority has been to ensure that the business owner could resume proper lawful access to his property and that the protestors were removed safely," said Inspector Alastair Dickie.

Police were also concerned that the two women atop the structure were removed this afternoon, both from a staff safety perspective and for the safety of the protestors, since strong winds have been forecast for the area later today, Inspector Dickie said.