Alf notes with fascination the career paths chosen by Hone Harawira’s stroppy relatives, the two Far North brothers who assaulted Prime Minister John Key outside a marae in February.
According to the NZPA report of proceedings in Kaikohe District Court, the pair assaulted Key “in a rush of blood” because of their concern over land being confiscated from Maori.
But Judge John McDonald told John Junior Popata, 33, a researcher, and Wikatana Popata, 19, an interviewer, that violence in any form was not an acceptable way of protest under New Zealand law and it was serious because of who they had targeted.
Get that? A “researcher” and “an interviewer”?
It’s almost the stuff of a Tui ad.
But let’s be generous and suppose they are highly competent at researching, interviewing, or whatever, when the blood is not rushing to their heads.
They still should have been banged up because – as the judge said – roughing up the PM is not an acceptable way of protest, and “serious” becaue of who they targeted. They needed time in the cooler to let their blood settle.
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