A police presence remains in place at Ihumatao this evening and is planned to continue through the night.
A large crowd has remained at the cordon over the course of the day, while Police has continued its presence on site to allow Fletcher Building contractors to go about their lawful business and to prevent any breaches of the peace.
Police respect the public’s right to protest and we want to acknowledge the peaceful behaviour of the vast majority of protestors on site.
Unfortunately a small number of people have acted in a reckless and dangerous manner and Police have made three arrests today.
Two women were arrested this morning for obstruction. One of the women was released with a pre-charge warning while a 28-year-old female was charged with obstructing Police and appeared in the Manukau District Court.
Shortly after midday a male was arrested and given a verbal warning for trespass before being released.
Police continue to urge demonstrators to behave responsibly, respect the Police cordon and act in a peaceful manner.
This is a challenging and complex situation involving a long running dispute between the parties involved.
Police have been involved in ongoing negotiations for an extended period of time with the aim of reaching a peaceful mediated outcome, however unfortunately this has not led to a satisfactory outcome for all concerned.
This is not a situation that Police wants to find itself in, however we have a duty to uphold the law.
We are in the middle of a difficult, evolving situation where we must balance the lawful right of people to go about their business alongside the lawful right to protest.
Police are committed to doing everything we can to resolve the situation peacefully.
ENDS
Nick Baker/NZ Police