Outrage after fountain in Auckland is dyed red as part of Anzac Day protest
Police are investigating a protest incident at a popular fountain which caused the water to run red on Anzac Day.
Deputy Mayor of Auckland Desley Simpson expressed her fury on Friday that Mission Bay's Trevor Moss Davis Memorial Fountain, in the city's inner east, had been damaged.
Photos shared on her Facebook show the memorial covered with red liquid and surrounding water dyed with red paint or dye.
'I respect the right for peaceful protest. What I don't respect or condone is wilful damage of public property,' she said.
'Our wonderful Mission Bay fountain was only cleaned yesterday!
'A police report has been done, we have CCTV in the area and another clean will occur today!'
The protest, which was about Israel's war in Gaza, appeared to coincide with Anzac Day, with a poster stuck to the foundation with a remembrance poppy at the bottom.
Above the poppy was the phrase: 'Never again is now.'
The poster urged the New Zealand government to act to uphold 'international law'.
'How many more children slaughtered in Gaza,' it asked.
'18 months of genocide. Blood on their hands.'
New Zealand news website, Stuff said police received a report at about 5am local time that people were near the fountain while the caller set up for an Anzac service.
The report is being assessed by officers.
Locals appeared to be split on the protest, arguing in the comments on the choice of day to make a statement.
'How totally disrespectful to the men and women we remember today who fought for these morons,' one commenter said.
Another said: 'ANZAC day is not the day to do this.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
16 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump says Russia, Ukraine may fight more to exhaust their hatred
"Sometimes you see young children fighting like crazy. They hate each other and they're fighting in a park," Trump said. "You try to pull them apart and they don't want to be pulled apart." "Sometimes you have to let them fight for a while," Trump added. Trump and Merz were meeting to discuss trade and how to end the three-and-a-half-year war. Merz said a day before the anniversary of D-day in World War II that Germany owes a tremendous debt to America for liberating his country and Europe from the Nazis, and needs to again help end a war. "We all are looking for measures and instruments to bring this terrible war to an end," Merz said. "I told the president before we came in that he is the key person in the world who can really do that now by putting pressure on Russia." Trump said he would be very tough and could impose sanctions on both countries if the fighting continues unabated. He didn't disclose a deadline but said he had it in his head. Ukraine is the apple of Putin's eye, Trump said, and the Russian would like to control the entire country. After a Ukrainian drone strike against Russian aircraft, Trump said Putin intends to hit back. "He got hit. He's been doing hitting, so I understand it. But he got hit hard," Trump said. "I don't think he's playing games. I've always said he wanted the whole thing. I thought he wanted everything having to do with Ukraine." Trump said he sensed great hatred between Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, making peace talks more complicated. "There's a lot of bad blood," Trump said. "There is a great hatred between those two men but between the warring parties." Besides children fighting in a park, Trump compared it to hockey players. "The referees let them go for a couple of seconds," Trump said. "Let them go for a little while before you pull them apart."
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- South Wales Guardian
Misconduct probe against ex-Met officer over handling of fake abuse claims ended
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had stopped the investigation into former Met deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse after a 'large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed to the IOPC by the Metropolitan Police'. Mr Rodhouse was due to face a disciplinary hearing for potentially breaching police professional standards of behaviour for honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct. The allegations centred around comments made to the media in March 2016 concerning his beliefs about the honesty of two witnesses to Operation Midland – a Met investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse. They also involved remarks he is alleged to have subsequently made to former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, who had been commissioned to carry out an independent review of the handling of Operation Midland in August 2016. Operation Midland was launched off the back of lurid and false allegations made by fantasist Carl Beech – later jailed for 18 years for what a judge called 'cruel and callous' lies. The Metropolitan Police's 16-month investigation into fake claims of a VIP paedophile ring saw raids on the homes of former home secretary Lord Brittan, as well as D-Day veteran Lord Bramall and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor. The probe ended in 2016 without a single arrest, after Beech made a series of baseless allegations, including of three murders. The force was heavily criticised for believing Beech too readily despite inconsistencies in his evidence, including naming witnesses who did not exist. The IOPC said there was 'no evidence' within the material provided from the Met that there was 'any inappropriate motivation in Mr Rodhouse's comments to the media' or which 'supports that he made those remarks during Sir Richard's review'. In a statement on Thursday, the policing watchdog said there was 'substantial evidence' to indicate comments made to the media were the 'result of collaboration between senior Met officers and staff' and there had been appropriate considerations, including a 'desire not to discourage victims of historic sex offences coming forward'. It added that by failing to follow Sir Richard's recommendation to investigate witnesses, the Met's service was 'unacceptable' and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were 'flawed'. The IOPC said it had reported a potential crime to the Met during its investigation, adding this was being investigated by Sussex Police. A 2016 review of Operation Midland, led by Sir Richard Henriques, found offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice should be considered. As then deputy assistant commissioner, Mr Rodhouse was in charge of Operation Midland. He went on to take up a senior role at the National Crime Agency. We've withdrawn our direction that former Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Rodhouse face gross misconduct proceedings after a large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed to us. Read more here:▶️ — Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) (@policeconduct) June 5, 2025 The new material, amounting to more than 3,500 emails and attachments, was provided to the IOPC in March following a further request to the force in preparation for the gross misconduct hearing. IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: 'Today's announcement does not change our finding that by failing to follow Sir Richard's recommendation in his review to investigate the witnesses, the Met's service was unacceptable and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were flawed.' Ms Rowe added: 'It is highly regrettable for all concerned that material we requested three years ago during our investigation, and we believed had not been retained due to the Met's retention policy, has only recently been discovered and disclosed. 'Police forces have a legal obligation to provide information to the IOPC when we request it. 'However, we acknowledge that we could have taken further steps during the investigation to seek additional assurance from the Met that relevant email material was definitely unavailable. 'We apologise to all of those affected and we are working with the force to establish exactly how and why this situation has occurred, and to reduce the risk of it happening again.'
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- South Wales Argus
Misconduct probe against ex-Met officer over handling of fake abuse claims ended
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had stopped the investigation into former Met deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse after a 'large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed to the IOPC by the Metropolitan Police'. Mr Rodhouse was due to face a disciplinary hearing for potentially breaching police professional standards of behaviour for honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct. The allegations centred around comments made to the media in March 2016 concerning his beliefs about the honesty of two witnesses to Operation Midland – a Met investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse. They also involved remarks he is alleged to have subsequently made to former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, who had been commissioned to carry out an independent review of the handling of Operation Midland in August 2016. Operation Midland was launched off the back of lurid and false allegations made by fantasist Carl Beech – later jailed for 18 years for what a judge called 'cruel and callous' lies. Operation Midland was launched off the back of lurid and false allegations made by fantasist Carl Beech (CPS/PA) The Metropolitan Police's 16-month investigation into fake claims of a VIP paedophile ring saw raids on the homes of former home secretary Lord Brittan, as well as D-Day veteran Lord Bramall and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor. The probe ended in 2016 without a single arrest, after Beech made a series of baseless allegations, including of three murders. The force was heavily criticised for believing Beech too readily despite inconsistencies in his evidence, including naming witnesses who did not exist. The IOPC said there was 'no evidence' within the material provided from the Met that there was 'any inappropriate motivation in Mr Rodhouse's comments to the media' or which 'supports that he made those remarks during Sir Richard's review'. In a statement on Thursday, the policing watchdog said there was 'substantial evidence' to indicate comments made to the media were the 'result of collaboration between senior Met officers and staff' and there had been appropriate considerations, including a 'desire not to discourage victims of historic sex offences coming forward'. It added that by failing to follow Sir Richard's recommendation to investigate witnesses, the Met's service was 'unacceptable' and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were 'flawed'. The IOPC said it had reported a potential crime to the Met during its investigation, adding this was being investigated by Sussex Police. A 2016 review of Operation Midland, led by Sir Richard Henriques, found offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice should be considered. As then deputy assistant commissioner, Mr Rodhouse was in charge of Operation Midland. He went on to take up a senior role at the National Crime Agency. We've withdrawn our direction that former Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Rodhouse face gross misconduct proceedings after a large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed to us. Read more here:▶️ — Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) (@policeconduct) June 5, 2025 The new material, amounting to more than 3,500 emails and attachments, was provided to the IOPC in March following a further request to the force in preparation for the gross misconduct hearing. IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: 'Today's announcement does not change our finding that by failing to follow Sir Richard's recommendation in his review to investigate the witnesses, the Met's service was unacceptable and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were flawed.' Ms Rowe added: 'It is highly regrettable for all concerned that material we requested three years ago during our investigation, and we believed had not been retained due to the Met's retention policy, has only recently been discovered and disclosed. 'Police forces have a legal obligation to provide information to the IOPC when we request it. 'However, we acknowledge that we could have taken further steps during the investigation to seek additional assurance from the Met that relevant email material was definitely unavailable. 'We apologise to all of those affected and we are working with the force to establish exactly how and why this situation has occurred, and to reduce the risk of it happening again.'
