Police arrest 11 at bridge protest

Eleven people have been arrested after stopping their vehicles on Auckland Harbour Bridge during a planned protest. Roughly 50 people gathered at Northcote’s Onepoto Domain yesterday morning. According to a person from the group who was speaking through a loudhailer, they’d intended to march over the Harbour Bridge on foot, similar to the anti-mandate protest in February. Waitemata¯ District Commander, Superintendent Naila Hassan, said in a press conference that police had been negotiating with the protesters in the days leading up to the crossing, attempting to deter them. ‘‘Their behaviour was selfish and stupid,’’ Hassan said. According to one of the organisers, the group were planning to make their way to Wellington for a hı¯koi on Three Waters reforms. A Stuff journalist at the scene said police were being verbally abused by protesters.