Mother of All Protests (New Zealand)
[2][3] Due to controversy around racist signage in the previous Howl of a Protest campaign, Groundswell issued a list of approved messages for participants.
[4][3] Groundswell NZ was founded by two West Otago farmers named Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson, who were opposed to the Sixth Labour Government's grazing, harvesting, and freshwater regulations, and proposed ute "tax."
Groundswell NZ subsequently became a national movement that organised through the social media platform Facebook, with the number of followers rising from 900 in October 2020 to 14,000 by mid-July 2021.
[6][7][8][9] In mid August 2021, Groundswell NZ co-founder Bryce McKenzie confirmed that the group would be organising a second nationwide protest campaign in November 2021 to oppose allegedly "unworkable regulations" relating to freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, and climate change.
[10] Groundswell co-organiser Laurie Paterson stated that the second planned protest campaign was in response to the government's refusal to address their concerns about freshwater and climate change mitigation policies.
[14] In mid-November, Groundswell NZ confirmed that it would be organising its "Mother of All Protests" on 21 November across 70 towns and centres including Kaitaia, Whangārei, Auckland, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Taupō, Wellington, Nelson, Greymouth, Christchurch, Timaru, Temuka, Geraldine, Waimate, Fairlie, Alexandra, Balclutha, Bluff, Gore, Invercargill, Mosgiel, Oamaru, Palmerston, Queenstown, Stewart Island, Te Anau, and Wānaka.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, participants were instructed to remain in their vehicles, stick to social bubbles, comply with road rules and health requirements.
In response to the presence of racist and offensive placards at the previous Howl of a Protest rallies in July 2021, the organisation has published a list of acceptable signage on its website.
While most placards criticised the Government's rural regulations and Three Waters programme, the Taranaki Daily News reported that some Trump and QAnon flags were being flown as well.
The Timaru protest was led by co-organisers Stewart Hydes and Roger Small, the former of whom praised the turnout and criticised the Government's Three Waters reform programme.
[25] In Oamaru, hundreds of tractors, utes, cars, sprayers and old fire trucks drove through the town centre to protest the Government's so-called "unworkable regulations" and the Three Waters reform programme.
Queenstown organiser Grant McMaster claimed that farmers were unhappy with the Government's freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, natural areas regulations, Three Waters reforms, and lack of priority for seasonal workers.
[25] Several participants also highlighted mental health issues facing farmers as well was grievances with Government policies including the Significant Natural Areas, Three Waters, and winter grazing.
Activist Sue Boyd alleged that Groundswell NZ promoted racism, misogyny, and vaccine hesitancy, citing the presence of offensive placards in the previous Howl of a Protest campaign in July 2021.
[28] Tokoroa dairy farmer Arianna Ashworth opined that the "Mother of All Protests" came at a "bad time" since Groundswell's message risk being muddled by anti-vaccination and anti-government elements.
While Ashworth supported Groundswell's efforts to lobby the Government about policies adversely affecting the primary industry, she stated that Groundswell needed to address recent events such as racist signs at the Howl of a Protest campaign and former Hamilton organiser Ross Townshend's racist social media post about Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
