2 Oct 2011

March against police surveillance bill

4:28 am on 2 October 2011

More than 100 people protested in front of Wellington Central Police Station on Saturday afternoon in opposition to the Government's urgent legislation on police surveillance.

The bill was introduced after the Supreme Court ruled evidence gathered by the police as part of the 2007 Urewera raids was obtained illegally.

Protestors carried flags and chanted, blocking all but one lane of traffic on Victoria Street in front of the police station.

Outgoing Green Party MP Keith Locke spoke to the crowd along with Valerie Morse, who was arrested in the raids but had charges against her dropped after the Supreme Court ruling.

She says the legislation undermines human rights and is unnecessary because current laws already allow for illegal evidence to be used in court if the charge is serious enough.

The protestors then marched to the Wellington waterfront before dispersing.