On any other morning this would be the big political news story of the day:
Harawira arrest: ‘I wasn’t breaking the law’
Mana party MP Hone Harawira says police broke the window of his car before arresting him at a housing protest in east Auckland suburb of Glen Innes last night.
Seven others were arrested after a group of protesters occupied a state house which was to be removed in preparation for redevelopment of the area.
Mr Harawira told Radio New Zealand he went to the protest to support the people of Glen Innes who he said were being torn apart by the Government’s housing policy.
“I went out there and I was parked in my car opposite the truck and they came and smashed the window and arrested me and took me out.
“I didn’t actually go out there to get arrested, I didn’t go out there to break the law, as far as I was concerned I wasn’t breaking the law. I was only parked in a car listening to some music, supporting the people that were up on the houses, and the police chose to break the windows and arrest me.”
3 News has video up. I haven’t seen any mention of what, if anything, Harawira has been charged with, or what law he is accused of breaking?
Update: Apparently Harawira has now been charged with “failing to remove a vehicle from a road”. “I’m embarrassed to say that its a very petty charge, probably the lowest charge I’ve ever faced in my life,” he says.
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