By Dan Satherley
Around 50 protesters gathered outside Eden Park’s ASB Stand entrance this morning to protest the presence of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Mr Blair is in Auckland to deliver a speech on business and innovation, with customers paying $500 a ticket – reportedly discounted from $1000 due to low sales.
The protesters, including veteran activist John Minto, and Mike Treen and Joe Carolan of the Unite Union, say Mr Blair is a war criminal for his part in leading the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which left hundreds of thousands dead.
Protesters carried placards with phrases like, “Your crimes will be with U till the end” and “Tony Blair, Tony Bliar”, and shouted “shame, shame” at people entering the venue.
Mr Minto asked New Zealand Herald reporter Fran O’Sullivan, as she entered, if she’d like it if her kids were “blown up by cluster bombs”. He referred to Mr Bair as a “genocidal maniac” and said anyone attending the speech was “complicit” in his actions.
Several attendees were offered a chance to have their say over the megaphone, but so far, all have declined. One gave Mr Minto the middle finger, but most didn't bother to acknowledge the protesters’ presence.
Other notable personalities spotted entering the stadium were Close Up’s Mark Sainsbury, columnist Bill Ralston and former Waitakere mayor, Bob Harvey.
There was a heavy police presence at the entrance to the stadium. An international anti-war group is offering money in exchange for an attempted citizen’s arrest on Mr Blair.
Mr Minto led the group to the entrance, brandishing a “citizen’s arrest warrant”, but were met with a wall of police officers who refused to budge.
One protester blasted the media, whom he said were “covering up Tony Blair’s lies”. Several media organisations, including One News, Radio New Zealand and The New Zealand Herald were present, though only NZPA was allowed into the venue.
At the time of writing, there was no sign of Mr Blair. Protesters suggested he will probably be sneaked in a back door, and joked he was a “backdoor man”.
Some traffic on the street was inconvenienced by the protest, leading one protester to joke, “If they think this is bad, just wait until the Rugby World Cup.”
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