Two people have been arrested following a protest at a building in Rolleston today, which came to an end after heavy rain began.
A police spokesperson told chrislynchmedia.com the pair will appear in court at a later date, charged with burglary.
The protest was safely resolved, with the remaining protesters leaving the scene without any further response required from police, the spokesperson said.
Two men climbed onto the NIOA New Zealand building on Monday morning, filming themselves on social media while singing and taunting emergency crews working to bring them down.
Veteran protester John Minto was at the scene but was not on the roof, and was not arrested.
The new office, warehouse and distribution centre in Rolleston replaced similar, albeit smaller, facilities in Auckland in October.
According to the company’s website, NIOA provides “defence and sporting supply solutions in New Zealand.
“With a rich history of supporting the New Zealand Defence Force and Police, we have been instrumental in providing essential weapons systems, tactical gear, and munitions to bolster security and readiness.”
NIOA is an Australian-owned defence contractor that supplies firearms, ammunition, and other military equipment to defence and law enforcement agencies across Australasia.
The company’s expansion into Canterbury last year was seen as a strategic move to support its growing role in supplying the New Zealand Defence Force and New Zealand Police.
Its increasing presence in New Zealand has drawn criticism from some activist groups who are opposed to the militarisation of police, as well as the involvement of private defence companies in public security.
The Rolleston facility allows NIOA to store and distribute weapons and ammunition locally, which has raised concerns from those wary of heightened police armament and the influence of Australian defence firms on New Zealand’s policing and defence policies.
The police spokesperson earlier said, “Additional staff and emergency services, including Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and Police’s Public Safety Unit and Police Negotiation Team were required.”
One of the protesters filmed himself saying, “Indigenous peoples of both sides of the Tasman have been subject to extreme and crucial forms of state violence ever since the colonisation and occupation of their lands.
“The State section murder and violent suppression of indigenous peoples is a pain shared the world over and is excruciatingly obvious across our shared lands.
“The supply of the Australian police with weapons and ammunition make them culpable in the violent and ongoing process of colonialism happening in our country.
“While NIOA, New Zealand, already has extended its tentacles into our defense and police forces, we will never allow them to supply the guns and bullets used to kill our Maori Pacific communities and now our government and police commissioner are looking into the routine arming of our police force in New Zealand, but make no mistake, providing weapons into the hands of an ill trained force who only receive eight to 10 hours of de-escalation training before they can use deadly equipment.
“NIOA launching in Christchurch is coziing up to our defense and policing sectors, hoping there can be any contract they can if and when the choice is made to routinely arm police officers in New Zealand.
Since its colonial origins, the New Zealand police force has been poisoned by structural racism that extends to every single officer in the country.”
The company was approached for comment.
