Climate protesters block Transmission Gully

Police have arrested 11 people for sitting on a crucial motorway in Wellington, demanding the government restore passenger rail.

Inspector Nick Thom said police were called to the scene of Transmission Gully at around 7.30am this morning after two vans full of people blocked the southbound lanes and protesters sat in front .

“Acts like this are not lawful and put the lives of protesters and other motorists at risk.

“While the police responded immediately and began to clear the road, some of the protesters had unfortunately stuck their hands to the road, further delaying traffic and taking up police time.”

The 11 people arrested have been charged with trespassing and criminal nuisance and are due to appear in Porirua District Court today.

All lanes of Transmission Gully are open after the protest action this morning.

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency confirmed the road was cleared shortly after 9.30am.

“The southbound lane was closed for just over an hour from around 8am. Drivers heading to Wellington should expect further delays as traffic congestion on the route eases. »

Protesters from the Restore Passenger Rail movement sat on Transmission Gully, blocking the southbound lanes of the road and holding a banner.

Twelve people, aged 22 to 81, from great-grandparents to college students, including a father and son, sat across the highway.

Rosemary, a spokeswoman for the group, told NZME that some protesters stuck their hands to the road.

She apologized to motorists for the inconvenience, acknowledging it was an “extreme” action, but said there was not much time left to tackle climate change.

“Places like Transmission Gully encourage more cars, more emissions – we have to go the other way.”

Rosemary said the group will continue until it gets a solid response from the government on restoring passenger rail service.

“We want the government to commit to serious consideration of producing transport.”

Three cars blocked the lane and a police spokesman said they understood up to 20 people were involved.

“Police are responding, but motorists using the road should expect delays.”

Transport Minister Michael Wood has blasted rail protesters who have wreaked havoc on traffic across Wellington in recent weeks, calling their actions ‘dangerous, stupid and counter-productive’.

Wood told NZME the government is working with many railway advocates who he says are pushing the government to “do more and faster”.

“We sit down with them and progress – this thing does the exact opposite.

“These people and others who have recently granted themselves the right to disrupt people in large numbers – people like Brian Tamaki walking across the Harbor Bridge – need to think a bit about how their actions affect others.”

The Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency has warned that State Highway 1 is closed to southbound traffic and motorists should detour to State Highway 59.

The group has blocked roads four times in the past fortnight.

Two people abseiled over the Mount Victoria tunnel yesterday and hung up another banner, forcing the tunnel to close in both directions.

Te Wehi Ratana, spokesperson for Restore Passenger Rail, called on the government to immediately restore passenger rail across the country.

“I am here to sound the alarm for urgent climate action,” he said. “We are in a climate emergency.”

The two protesters have been arrested and charged – joining others charged with criminal nuisance and willful trespassing last week for sitting across the freeway at the Terrace tunnel and then again at the Melling intersection of State Highway 2.