By Dan Parker
Occupy Wellington protesters packed up peacefully on the 109th day of their occupation this morning under threat of forcible eviction, but a few have returned this afternoon in a symbolic show of defiance. Apart from another small group camped under trees in Hagley Park in Christchurch, today's Wellington eviction marks the end of the occupy protests in New Zealand.
The remaining few were ousted by a Local Government bylaw banning unauthorised camping and although the eviction notice was complied with, it wasn't all peaceful as some protestors put up a fight, with one council security guard assaulted.
“One of the boys smacked on of them in the nose because he had a camera in his face. He's lucky I didn't get a hold of his camera and chuck it through the Michael Fowler centre,” says Occupy Wellington spokesman Trevor Paul.
Many of those who were evicted have nowhere to go - they are homeless and had found refuge under the occupy banner.
“At some point it did turn into an issue about homelessness, it didn’t start off that way but it did end up that way, so we have had agencies working with people on site to assist them into accommodation,” says the Wellington City Council’s Wendy Walker.
But a stubborn few have also refused help and after Council staff left they defiantly returned with their tents. Despite this, police didn't act.
Fencing had been planned to keep them out so new grass could be grown, but the trucks which turned up left and some homeless treated that as a victory.
“We are going to be here for the Sevens and we are going to make a hell of a lot of noise about how useless the council are, they are supposed to be public servants but they are the public enemy! They are the scum,” says Mr Paul.
It's likely those who remain will now be issued trespass notices, and while the council says today went relatively peacefully, evicting the protestors may require a more forceful approach.
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