Thousands March in Auckland Against Conservation Amendment Bill

Thousands of people marched from Albert Park through central Auckland to Te Komititanga Square on September 19 to oppose New Zealand’s Conservation Amendment Bill. Organisers Greenpeace and Forest & Bird led the March for Nature, and Greenpeace said more than 35,000 people participated. Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman said the turnout showed opposition to rewriting conservation law to make protected places easier to exploit. Forest & Bird policy and advocacy manager Richard Capie said political parties should protect nature rather than weaken environmental safeguards for short-term profit.