Anti-trans activist Posie Parker (real name Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull) has officially departed New Zealand after thousands showed up to protest her speech in Auckland.
Parker, who was set to make a second stop in the nation’s capital of Wellington, cut her trip short after all signs pointed to a repeat of Saturday’s enormous counter-protest.
The Brit was photographed at Auckland Airport on Saturday night being escorted by police to her gate.
Local publication Stuff NZ called Parker to explain why she was booting. “I wouldn’t be telling anyone my plans,” she responded before reaffirming that she didn’t trust the media.
Pretty sent after a party and a wild dash to the airport, and then this 💁♂️ pic.twitter.com/0uKRdXS9uH
— build more houses (@antiboomerparty) March 25, 2023
To catch you up, Saturday morning Parker rocked up to Albert Park in the centre of Auckland, New Zealand’s most populous city, expecting to speak with her supporters.
Instead, she was met by a bunch of LGBT+ community members and allies who wouldn’t tolerate a bar of her hatred spewing.
Counterprotestors have taken over the Albert Park Rotunda and Posie Parker didn’t get to say a single word. That’s us, Auckland. That’s us. pic.twitter.com/LZFmE7AZwu
— Shaneel Lal 🧚🏻 (They/Them) (@shaneellall) March 24, 2023
After realising the speech wouldn’t go ahead as planned (and having a jar of tomato sauce emptied onto her head), Parker was led to the Auckland Central Police Station.
— Nihilarity (@Nihilarity) March 24, 2023
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Parker told Stuff, clearly desperate to paint herself as the victim and not the instigator.
“What a shameful day for New Zealand.”
“Maybe it’s time say “we can’t do it” [go to Wellington],” she said in a YouTube video while leaving the scene.
Per the NZ Herald, 500 members of the Destiny Church had gathered in support of Parker.
Some members were holding anti-trans signs which read “let our kids be kids” and “we represent fed-up families” which felt very déjà vu after witnessing the scenes at Melbourne’s protest last week.
Before the Wellington leg of Parker’s tour was cancelled, the city’s Mayor Tory Whanau had encouraged her electorate to follow Auckland’s lead and show up in protest.
The mayor predicted the Brit would likely “receive the same response from a community who are very protective of the trans community”.
“It would be great if the community really show visibly that they are allies, and that they care about our trans and rainbow whānau.”
If you’d like to talk about the issues raised in this story, you can call the QLife LGBTI peer support hotline on 1800 184 527 or chat online.
QLife operates between 3pm and midnight daily.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
