Premier House tagged with pro-Palestine graffiti

The fence outside Premier House in Wellington has been tagged with pro-Palestine slogans calling for an end to the genocide.

The words “Fre Gaza” and “stop the genocide” have been painted in red on the fence of the house, the official residence of the prime minister.

A police spokesperson confirmed they were aware of the graffiti, telling The New Zealand Herald they are making enquiries.

“Our enquiries are in the very early stages to determine the full circumstances. We ask anyone with information or footage to please contact Police via our 105 phone service.”

The US Consulate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade building in Auckland were also sprayed with red paint early this morning, and tagged with the phrases “save Gaza”, “ceasefire now” and “free Palestine”.

Tensions have been escalating across New Zealand as protests continue - some in support of Palestine and others in support of Israel. At a pro-Palestine rally in Auckland on Saturday a young child was allegedly hit on the head by a shovel-wielding man.

Hundreds of people gathered in the square around 2pm on Sunday, calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.

A member of New Zealand’s Palestinian community who was at the rally, Rand Hazou, said witnesses described the attacker waiting off to the side on Greys Ave between the Town Hall and the square.

“At the close of the rally around 5pm, we got a report he had attacked a young child.

“I spoke to some of the eyewitnesses who had jumped on him and then the police arrested him.”

Superintendent Sunny Patel, the acting Auckland District Commander, said police had arrested a man after a child was seriously hurt as he was leaving a protest.

Following Hamas’ deadly October 7 attack on Israel, in which at least 1200 people were killed, Israel’s allies have defended the country’s right to protect itself. But now into the second month of war, there are growing differences over how Israel should conduct its fight.

The graffiti follows weeks of protest across New Zealand and the world calling on a cease-fire from Israel - but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back on Saturday against growing international calls, saying Israel’s battle to crush Gaza’s ruling Hamas militants will continue with “full force”.

More than 11,070 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and minors, have been killed since the war began, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 2700 people have been reported missing and are thought to be possibly trapped or dead under the rubble.

At least 1200 people have been killed in Israel, mainly in the initial Hamas attack, Israeli officials say.