New Zealand: Ongoing criminalisation of climate activists and concerns about restrictive bill

The state of civic space in New Zealand is rated as ‘open’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Civil society groups are able to form and operate without restrictions, freedom of expression is respected and protected and there are rarely restrictions on protests. However, there have been some incidents of arrest and prosecution of protesters.

In recent months, climate activists and protesters have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted, while two were arrested for a protest outside the Iranian embassy. There are ongoing concerns around a bill to curb protests, while a prominent activist was targeted in an attack on his property.

Peaceful Assembly

Climate activist convicted for trespassing at Dunedin airport

In December 2025, a climate activist was convicted and discharged for trespassing at the Dunedin Airport after wearing a T-shirt and holding a protest sign.

Bruce Mahalski said this all started with a collaborative art project where he would go to different places wearing the T-shirt saying 'It's a Climate Emergency' and holding a tiny sign to photograph. He was standing alone, with his sign, as people arrived off the new Jetstar Gold Coast flight at Dunedin Airport in 2025. Security staff asked him to leave and then called the police.

He was then asked to pay a $NZD 50 (USD 30) fine, but Mahalski objected to paying the fine, saying it implied he had committed an antisocial crime when his motives were selfless. The airport is owned by the government and Dunedin City Council, both of whom had declared a climate emergency, he said.

In January 2026, the climate activist tried to pay a court fine using a hand-drawn $50 note. The authorities refused to accept it, and another climate activist stepped in to buy the note, covering the fine.

Trial concludes for nine people who took action at Stockton mine

In December 2026, a long-awaited trial ended for nine people who took peaceful action at Stockton mine (pictured above). The nine appeared in the Westport District Court, facing charges for blocking a coal mine. The judge has reserved their decision until 2026.

As previously documented, the nine were arrested at demonstrations at the West Coast coal mine after trying to shut down the operation. The mining company Bathurst Resources was seeking fast-track approval to extend its Stockton mine and extract 20-million tonnes of coal from the Denniston and Stockton Plateaux over the next 25 years. In order to halt operations, protesters climbed into cable cars used to transport coal.

Climate Liberation Aotearoa’s Annabel Hankin was one of the nine in court. She said the action was taken because “the Fast Track Act slammed the door on democracy. When the government removes all other legal avenues, we had to step up to defend what’s irreplaceable.”

Melissa Andrews, who supported the defendants at the trial, said, “These are reasonable people facing an unreasonable mine.”

Andrews emphasised that while nine appeared in court, “thousands are behind them — people who camped through storms, organised at ANZ branches, signed petitions, and are pushing to make Denniston a national reserve.”

Protesters arrested at demonstration outside Iranian Embassy

In January 2026, two people were arrested at a protest outside the Iranian Embassy in Wellington during a demonstration in solidarity with ongoing anti-government protests in Iran.

About 40 people were chanting, calling for the removal of the Iranian regime and for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to be installed as shah. Many there said they had family in Iran who they had not heard from in four or five days, since the Government shut down internet and phone services. One man climbed up to erect a pre-revolution Iranian flag, but this was removed by someone from inside the embassy.

Police said two people were arrested for ‘wilful damage’ and charges were being considered. One of them was a 56-year-old woman. The second person arrested, Diako Salemi, was released without charge, police said.

Greenpeace protesters sentenced for scaling dairy giant building

Eight activists from Greenpeace were sentenced in April 2026 for scaling the dairy giant Fonterra’s building in October 2024.

The activists - Dr Christopher Holden, Amanda Larsson, Holly Dove, Jason Brook, Britta Hamill, Nicholas Hanafin, Tayla Wong-Lithgow and Nigel Fannin - appeared in the Hamilton District Court. Holden, who had the job on the roof as safety officer, and his group abseiled down about 15m to unveil a 160sqm banner. It stated: “Fonterra’s Methane Cooks the Climate”.

Fonterra was forced to shut down a drying plant for four hours after the Greenpeace protesters climbed a 15-storey building and hung over its air vents. The vents expel air in case of an internal fire or explosion, so the dairy giant opted to shut the dryer during the protest. The shutdown allegedly cost Fonterra almost $NZD 300,000 (USD 177,000).

The police prosecutor described the group’s actions as unlawful protesting, which needed to be deterred.

The judge convicted and discharged the group, except for Hanafin. He was convicted and fined $NZD 300 (USD 177). All defendants were ordered to pay court costs of $NZD 143 (USD 84).

Greenpeace stood by the protesters, calling their actions “brave” and labelling Fonterra as the country’s “worst climate polluter”.

Climate activist arrested after shutting down coal mine expansion

A climate activist was arrested after a five-day protest blocking the expansion of the Cypress Mine.

Climate Liberation Aotearoa activist Hamish Edwards was arrested and charged with trespass by Granity police after occupying an old-growth beech tree. He had set up camp 10 metres high in the beech tree, where old-growth forest meets the edge of the Bathurst Resources Cypress Mine expansion. His occupation blocked trucks and machinery from using the road and put a halt to the expansion for five days.

Edwards was protesting the expansion and Bathurst Resources’ fast-track proposal for New Zealand’s largest coal mining project, which would expand the current mine into the Denniston Plateau.

Edwards said: “I am comfortable with the consequences of my actions, because the consequences of not taking action, and letting extractivist, corporate greed go unchecked are so much worse.”

Ongoing concerns around bill to curb protests

There are concerns, as previously documented, about the introduction of a new offence for engaging in disruptive demonstrations outside private homes in the Summary Offences (Demonstrations Near Residential Premises) Amendment Bill introduced in August 2025.

Human rights groups have argued that the bill is too vague and that there are existing laws sufficient to cover such offences. Further, such a bill may be inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 which protects fundamental freedoms.

In November 2025, Greenpeace Aotearoa made an oral submission on the bill.

In the submission it said that this bill seeks to criminalise protest, a vital democratic right that has shaped Aotearoa’s history and identity. This Bill risks silencing the public voice. It would punish people for what it terms “targeted and disruptive demonstrations” near residential premises. These terms are so vague and broad that almost any peaceful protest could fall within them.

They added that if the purpose of this bill is to manage protests that get out of hand, there are already extensive laws to deal with protest that crosses the line into intimidation, harassment, or public disorder, such as the Summary Offences Act, the Trespass Act and the Harassment Act. Greenpeace Aotearoa also stated that the bill’s drafting is vague and broad and that it invites overreach.

Association

Prominent activist targeted in attack on property

A prominent activist who has been outspoken against Israel’s war in Gaza had his property targeted by vandals in January 2026.

John Minto posted on social media, saying he woke up to find two Palestinian flags had been torn down, while “Nazi Scum” had been spray painted on the footpath outside his Christchurch address. Minto also said that a “Together for Te Tiriti” sign had been spray-painted over and a banner reading “Make poverty history” had been ripped off his fence.

Minto said he was not “particularly worried” by the attack, which he labelled “pathetic”.

Previously, in May 2025, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found that the police had unlawfully pepper-sprayed and arrested veteran activist John Minto at a pro-Palestinian protest in Christchurch in February 2024.