MPs Andrew Hoggard, Laura Trask, and party leader David Seymour were due to speak at the Rugby Club Rooms.
The protestors’ actions came on the same day the Treaty Principles Bill passed its first reading in Parliament.
Tensions escalated when a young man was seen yelling, “Kill the f***** bill,” as security guards blocked his entry to the venue.
A witness told chrislynchmedia.com “it was the worst behaviour I have ever seen.
“The protestors tried to tackle both security and police.”
The witness said that Seymour had not yet arrived at the venue when the protestors began causing trouble.
“If David had been there, it would have been very volatile. They even threw a device in the room with both Laura Trask and Andrew Hoggart.
“There was lots of heavy shouting, heckling, violent disorderly behaviour, physical assaults, but no arrests made.
A woman was also filmed entering the club rooms carrying an infant shouting “free Palestine.”
Another attendee wrote on Facebook “Well tonight was a first. I’ve never been to a meeting before where I was scared.
“We all had to leave and I got yelled at while I left. There were police there, many police.
“The meeting was interrupted constantly with people bashing on windows, the police dragging protesters from the door and loud panic units thrown into the room.
“In the meeting the MPs touched on a bill before parliament today, education, gun control, health care, business, lots on farming, and a few other topics.
“Question time was reasonable, but sabotaged by different activists and most of the other questions were at the same level as talk back radio.
“On the way home I got called out on the phone for not taking video or having photos. There was no way in hell I was stopping to do either. It wasn’t a nice place. It was full of violence. I just left quickly as requested by the police.
“I think it makes you rethink about life when you realise that you don’t feel safe as a New Zealander in New Zealand.”
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. Chris blogs at Chris Lynch Media - where this article was sourced.
A witness told chrislynchmedia.com “it was the worst behaviour I have ever seen.
“The protestors tried to tackle both security and police.”
The witness said that Seymour had not yet arrived at the venue when the protestors began causing trouble.
“If David had been there, it would have been very volatile. They even threw a device in the room with both Laura Trask and Andrew Hoggart.
“There was lots of heavy shouting, heckling, violent disorderly behaviour, physical assaults, but no arrests made.
A woman was also filmed entering the club rooms carrying an infant shouting “free Palestine.”
Another attendee wrote on Facebook “Well tonight was a first. I’ve never been to a meeting before where I was scared.
“We all had to leave and I got yelled at while I left. There were police there, many police.
“The meeting was interrupted constantly with people bashing on windows, the police dragging protesters from the door and loud panic units thrown into the room.
“In the meeting the MPs touched on a bill before parliament today, education, gun control, health care, business, lots on farming, and a few other topics.
“Question time was reasonable, but sabotaged by different activists and most of the other questions were at the same level as talk back radio.
“On the way home I got called out on the phone for not taking video or having photos. There was no way in hell I was stopping to do either. It wasn’t a nice place. It was full of violence. I just left quickly as requested by the police.
“I think it makes you rethink about life when you realise that you don’t feel safe as a New Zealander in New Zealand.”
Broadcaster Chris Lynch is an award winning journalist who also produces Christchurch news and video content for domestic and international companies. Chris blogs at Chris Lynch Media - where this article was sourced.
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