17 Oct 2012

Hone Harawira says protest charge petty

7:06 pm on 17 October 2012

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira says the charge he faces after a protest in an Auckland suburb is a petty waste of time.

Hone Harawira said he would defend the charges.

Hone Harawira said he would defend the charges. Photo: RNZ

Mr Harawira and six others were arrested on Friday after a demonstration against a plan to remove 156 state homes from Glen Innes.

The MP is charged with failing to remove his vehicle from a road, after he blocked the path of a removal truck.

He addressed the Auckland District Court in te reo Maori, saying he doesn't agree with the charge and was just defending the rights of the Glen Innes community.

That was interpreted by the court as a plea of not guilty but outside court he said that was a misinterpretation.

Mr Harawira, who represented himself, will reappear in court next month. The charge carries a penalty of a fine.

Five of the other protesters also appeared and pleaded not guilty to their charges.