Protesting clergy invite Finance Minister to break bread

The protest on September 15-16 was motivated by the “awful, disastrous situation that is being inflicted on the Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza”, Archdiocese of Wellington Vicar-General Msgr Gerard Burns said.

“We’re doing it because of our Christian commitment, out of love – we want to stand with those that are suffering and think our Government should take significant actions, which we say are sanctions against Israel,” he said.

Stuff reported that the clergy were calling on Nicola Willis’ Government to implement trade and travel sanctions on Israel in response to its continued killing of civilians in Gaza and blocking of humanitarian aid. The protest outside Ms Willis’ Johnsonville office started on September 15 and lasted 32 hours.

Msgr Burns told Radio New Zealand that the Government’s response to Israel has been starkly different to its treatment of Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

“The sanctions against Russia cover 1800 individuals, military entities and banks, we’ve put 35 per cent tariffs on all Russian exports. But for Israel, in the midst of all this, I think we’ve sanctioned about 35 individuals,” he said.

“There’s disproportion in what we’ve done, and we think it should be much more proportionate, especially given the scale of the activities going on against the Palestinians. We’re asking our Government, as we would ask any government, to act strongly against injustice and violence and genocidal activity.”

Msgr Burns said it had been an uncomfortable night sleeping on the footpath, but this was nothing compared to what people in Palestine were facing.

Ms Willis told Radio New Zealand she was in a caucus meeting and did not have time to accept the protesters’ invitation to break bread on the morning of September 16. She said she respected the right to peaceful protest, but the clergy were blocking people who might be seeking help at her office.

Stuff reported Ms Willis saying: “For members of the public, it’s intimidating to have to walk through a protest in order to get help. They’re getting in the way of good people who need help in their constituency, so I’d suggest that that’s not the best way to make the message.”

Ms Willis said her office could not be opened because of the protest action.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson visited the protesters on September 16 and said “intimidating” was not a word she would use to describe them.

“They are there with incredible peace and good heart. They’re calling for humanity, they’re trying to use whatever platform they can to ask the Government to do the right thing,” she said.

FULL STORY

Hamas the ‘centre and the cause of this problem’ in Gaza – David Seymour (Radio New Zealand)

Finance Minister Nicola Willis calls protesting priests at her office ‘intimidating’ (Stuff)

Priests end protest outside finance minister’s office after 32 hours (Radio New Zealand)

‘We must stay on’: Clergy chained in Gaza protest wait to meet Willis (Radio New Zealand)

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