Dildo-Wielding Activist To Visit Waitangi Despite Trespass Order

Josie Butler first made headlines after flinging a substantially sized dildo at the National Party MP Steven Joyce’s face at Waitangi in 2016. Now, that perfectly timed throw has got police knocking at her door to serve her with a trespassing order for this year’s Waitangi commemorations. But she says no piece of paper will stop her from stepping foot on her ancestral land.

In a Facebook video, the Christchurch nurse announced she had been invited to speak at Waitangi about the benefits of protest and how she had only recently discovered that her great great great grandfather signed the treaty and had been the first person ever to speak on Waitangi.

“The purpose of my trip was to honour and explore my whakapapa and I feel really hurt that that opportunity has been taken away from me without anyone even giving me a phone call first and having a yarn," Butler said.

Butler went on to say she had emailed every member of the Waitangi board four days ago, seeking an opportunity to speak about the decision, but no one had acknowledged her or responded to her request.

Butler says the document, banning her from the entire Waitangi Treaty Grounds, is signed by the Chief Executive Officer at Waitangi National Trust Greg McManus. Police told her his only rationale was to “protect the interests of Ngāpuhi” – which is her own iwi.

In an interview with Checkpoint, Butler said she could understand why people might be nervous about her coming, but in her emails, she had assured them she was not there to protest. “I plan on breaching the trespass notice, but I am quite sad I might get arrested just trying to explore my heritage… I am going to be walking on that marae and I am going to be there at the Dawn Service where they call out the names of the signatories of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and I am going to be standing for my great great great grandfather.”

Butler said she is most disheartened that former National Party leader Don Brash would be allowed to speak, but not her. "Don Brash, [a] person who completely opposes Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Don Brash, the person who thinks the Waitangi Tribunal should be abolished. Don Brash, man who has been banned from universities because of his hate speech towards Māori,” she said in the video.

"I think this is a really good example of where our race relations are at today. Decisions being made on our behalf, without us being allowed even a voice in these decisions and when we shout often we are completely ignored."