Original article is here. https://waikanaewatch.org/#
Now she’s suing them for wrongful arrest: excellent, never let the police get away with abusing your rights. There was far too much police malfeasance during the Jacinda regime, and despite the change of government at that time, it hasn’t ceased as we’ve seen in the Barry Young case.
from the Free Speech Union
https://youtu.be/Xb-RS0oo2x8?si=V78oVq48J6V6mlML
What happened
In November 2023, Lucy Rogers – a criminal defence lawyer – was in her office preparing for a trial.
She popped down to Queen Street for a coffee. A pro-Palestine march was passing through.
She bought a piece of paper from a nearby shop, wrote six words on it – “Selective condemnation of genocide is evil“ — and stood quietly on the footpath, holding it above her head.
She wasn’t shouting. She wasn’t blocking anyone. She was standing several metres from the nearest marcher, in silence.
But within minutes, Police grabbed her sign and ripped it up. They handcuffed Lucy, arrested her for “breach of the peace,” and put her in the back of a Police van.
Her request to speak to a lawyer was denied. She was invasively searched. She was only released on the condition that she leave the area.
Lucy Stood on a Footpath. The Police Arrested Her. Lucy’s crime? Standing silently with a piece of paper.
The Police lied about it
The Independent Police Conduct Authority investigated and their findings were damning.
The IPCA concluded that Lucy’s arrest was unlawful. The force used against her was unjustified. Tearing up her sign was unjustified. And the Police officers’ own accounts of what happened did not match the evidence. The IPCA stated it did “not accept” the officers could have believed what they wrote in their reports.
In plain language, the Police lied.
But it gets worse.
The police’s own internal complaints body investigated Lucy’s case without ever interviewing her. Nobody even told her the investigation was happening. The most senior officer involved was never interviewed. When a second video emerged contradicting the officers’ accounts, the IPCA had to order the police to go back and reconsider.
And when the findings were finally made public? The Police hierarchy defended the officers.
We’ve all seen this happen before – in the case of Jevon McSkimming.
The Police said they were “acting in [Lucy’s] best interests to keep her safe.”
Lucy was handcuffed on a public footpath for holding a sign. Apparently, for her own good. But the IPCA in their words, said there was a very low probability that her safety was ever at risk
This is the slippery slope of authoritarianism
The Independent Police Conduct Authority investigated the arrest and was unambiguous in its findings.
The IPCA also found that the officers’ own accounts did not match the evidence — and that a second video had to be brought to the attention of the internal police complaints body before it would reconsider its conclusions.
Despite all of this, the Police publicly defended the officers’ actions
Now Lucy Is Taking Them to Court
With the support of the Free Speech Union, Lucy has filed a claim in the High Court against Police under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act for unlawful arrest and detention. A hearing is set for August this year.
She didn’t set out to become a test case. But she knows what’s at stake — not just for her, but for anyone who wants to stand on a footpath and hold a sign.
Why This Case Matters
The police chose to unlawfully arrest a lone individual for protesting on Auckland CBD’s main road. The complaint was internally investigated the incident without ever speaking to Lucy. And when Police responded publicly, they have consistently denied any wrongdoing, even after the release of the IPCA’s report.
If that can happen to a criminal defence lawyer who knows her rights and pushed back — it can happen to anyone.
This case is vital to protecting New Zealanders’ right to peaceful protest. But taking on the state isn’t cheap.
Police have institutional resources and taxpayer-funded legal teams.
Lucy has us.
How You Can Help
Your donation goes towards Lucy’s legal fees, court filing fees and other costs associated with preparing and attending the trial. Any surplus will be used to support the FSU’s other work in defending Kiwis’ right to free speech, including peaceful protest.
Uncoffined 