Two arrested at ASB Classic, banned Minto lurks

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Fri, 08 Jan 2010 2:47p.m.

John Minto was arrested at the ASB Classic yesterday

John Minto was arrested at the ASB Classic yesterday

Two further arrests were made today as protesters against Israeli Shahar Peer's presence at the ASB Classic returned to the Auckland tennis venue.

About 20 protesters gathered outside the stadium with signs attacking Israel's policies towards Palestinians and chanted during Peer's semifinal with Belgian Yanina Wickmayer.

On Wednesday, one person was arrested for disorderly behaviour during a similar demonstration.

Yesterday, five others, including protest leader John Minto, were arrested and issued with orders preventing them from being within 500m of the venue.

Minto was not with the group today, but was spotted driving past in a ute.

There was also a pro-Peer supporter outside the stadium close to the demonstration.

Aucklander Barbara Thomson wore a T-shirt with the word "Israel" on it and had an Israeli flag attached to the end of the umbrella.

She also had a copy of the Bible and a sign with the words of New Zealand's national anthem on it.

She said she wasn't Israeli or Jewish and wouldn't classify herself as a protester, but believed people of all creed and races should be welcome in New Zealand.

"This is God's own country," she said.

"This is our national anthem. The God of nations is the God of New Zealand."

NZPA

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Comments

12 Jan 2010 12:54p.m.

Tricky wrote:

Cyril, you hit the nail on the head. Ignoring Minto would strike his inflated ego more than arrest and subsequent "martyrdom".

08 Jan 2010 10:43p.m.

John, Lower Hutt wrote:

Make Minto serve as a ball boy and put a tennis ball in his mouth while he's at it.

08 Jan 2010 08:22p.m.

David wrote:

It staggers the mind how some of the more radically-minded continually seek to achieve supposedly positive objectives through negative publicity. Of course, the Middle East is rife with war, death and injustice, as we all know all too well, but there are alternatives to expressing one's outrage at the suffering of Palestinian women & children than making a fool of yourself.

08 Jan 2010 07:26p.m.

cyril wrote:

The best thing the media can do is ignore anything that Minto is involved in.