Anti-immigration demonstrators chanted “send them back” while facing off with supporters of visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi outside an event in New Zealand.
Hundreds of police officers positioned themselves between four rival groups – the remigration activists, the mainly Hindu Modi fans, Sikh separatists, and far-left extremist counter-protesters – at the Spark Arena in Auckland on Saturday afternoon where an estimated 10,000 Indians attended the Kia Ora Modi event.
The large group of patriots held banners saying “remigration now” and “stop mass migration”, while supporters of the Indian leader chanted “Modi, Modi, Modi”, and Khalistan protesters, who want an independent Sikh state in Punjab, shouted back and held signs calling Modi the “face of Hindu terror”.
Anti-immigration protesters face off with Indians and far-left extremist counter-protesters at an event for India’s Prime Minister in Auckland.
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Patriots chant pro-New Zealand slogans as Indian PM Narendra Modi visits Auckland’s Spark Arena. pic.twitter.com/KQvKghrsN0
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Imported Culture Wars – Khalistani Separatists v Hindutva Supremacists in Auckland NZ pic.twitter.com/vKA9VnS0jw
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Activist group Remigration New Zealand said earlier this week that their protest was intended to “oppose mass immigration and support the reversal of it through remigration”.
Photojournalist Simon Anderson shared footage of the Hindu nationalist and Khalistani protesters chanting at each other, and said the Sikh group was “outnumbered 100 to one” but there was no violence.
“As soon as they turned up the Hindutva descended on them but it was just shouting, it didn’t ever look like they were going to come to blows,” he said.
“One side was chanting ‘Modi! Modi Modi!’ and the other was chanting ‘Kill Modi! Kill Modi! Kill Modi!’ That side had a couple of effigies of him, trussed up in chains wearing prison gear.
“Police did well today it has to be said. Calm, professional and accommodating.”
Mr Modi flew into Auckland late on Friday and leaves again on Saturday night as part of a quick but historic visit to celebrate the signing of a controversial Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and India.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met Mr Modi at Government House in the morning where the two leaders agreed on a Roadmap To 2030 strategic partnership that aims to double trade between the two countries within four years.
Mr Luxon was later forced to clarify an element of the FTA after Mr Modi said in a speech that “New Zealand has committed to invest $20 billion in India over the next 15 years”.
New Zealand’s Trade Minister had previously said the FTA provision “doesn’t require us to invest in India. It requires us to promote investment”, and when asked if Mr Modi had misunderstood the commitment, Mr Luxon said “it’s all well understood, a commitment to promote”.
The Indian leader’s visit comes amid rising concerns among New Zealanders about mass immigration and the growing influence of ethnic and religious voting blocs on political parties and the police.
Christian leader Brian Tamaki had his hunting rifles confiscated by police last week after saying in a video opposing Mr Modi’s visit that New Zealand should be “purged” of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs, and in May a woman was tracked down by officers over a social media post that read “welcome to New India”.
Members of Remigration Now were also raided by police over a peaceful demonstration outside the New Zealand Indian Central Association in Auckland earlier this year.
Header image: Left, right, the patriotic protesters (supplied).
