Dunedin’s Mayor is urging protesters in the Octagon to leave peacefully as a council deadline for them to move looms.
Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins urged protesters to leave the Octagon peacefully after protesters received a letter warning they would be trespassed on Monday if they did not leave by then.
‘‘Nobody wants to see any form of confrontation in the heart of our city,’’ he said.
The council had turned off the supply of electricity to the reserve and a portable toilet had been removed after the private company which provided it became aware of the council’s intentions earlier this morning.
Protesters were free to continue to protest lawfully, but all tents and other structures would need to be removed by noon on Monday, Mr Hawkins said.
The formal warning, signed by the Dunedin City Council’s chief executive officer Sandy Graham and addressed to Nora Bishop and all other occupiers, was delivered today by two council staffers wearing cameras.
The letter said the protesters were in violation of the Reserves Act 1977 and the City’s Reserves and Beaches Bylaw by occupying the area and putting up tents, lighting fires and erecting signs.
‘‘These are offences punishable on conviction in the District Court to fines and can result in a criminal conviction being entered against you individually,’’ the letter said.
Refusal or failure to leave the Octagon after the warning period expired would result in an offence under the Trespass Act 1990 being committed.
Protesters had the right to express their views, but the Octagon needed to be returned for the benefit of all Dunedin City residents, it said.
Video filmed by protesters showed around 10 protesters gathered in the Octagon when the council staff arrived.
Several asked the council staff to define camping gear.
Protesters told each other not to touch the paper and the council staff placed it on a table before walking away.
A police spokeswoman said they were working with the council and protest organisers to facilitate peaceful resolutions for all parties involved.
Mr Hawkins’ interview with television news tonight was cut short as he had to remove himself to a safer spot after protesters in the Octagon verbally abused him.
Mr Hawkins said earlier today the group was small and had largely been peaceful but there was now no clear purpose for them to still be there.
"It hasn't had the same atmosphere as we've seen in other iterations of this, notably in Wellington, and that's to be commended, but it doesn't change the fact that it is disruptive now without a clear purpose.
"There is certainly a level of frustration in the community about the ongoing nature of their presence in the Octagon view and certainly on Tuesday as we've entered the next stage of the Covid response and Covid protection framework it's become even more obvious to people in the community that this isn't something that they can tolerate for much longer."
