{"id":1043,"date":"2016-03-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-03-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/new-zealand\/press-release\/hundreds-descend-on-central-auckland-to-blockade-nzs-largest-oil-event\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T15:48:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T02:48:57","slug":"hundreds-descend-on-central-auckland-to-blockade-nzs-largest-oil-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/press-release\/hundreds-descend-on-central-auckland-to-blockade-nzs-largest-oil-event\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds descend on Central Auckland to blockade NZ\u2019s largest oil event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>More than 200 people are descending on New Zealand\u2019s largest oil industry conference at dawn this morning and blocking its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience.<\/p>\n\n<p>It\u2018s the first time in New Zealand that Greenpeace has invited the general public to take civil disobedience action en masse. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/en\/Live-Feed-Real-Climate-Action\/\">The day\u2019s activities were livestreamed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div data-hydrate=\"planet4-blocks\/gallery\" data-attributes=\"{&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;multiple_image&quot;:&quot;2703,2707,2706,2705,2704&quot;,&quot;image_data&quot;:[{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/ae0b70f5-gp0stpp5b_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:2703},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/778584af-gp0stpp5h_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:2707},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/e04b5af4-gp0stpp5f_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:2706},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/d34bb462-gp0stpp5e_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:2705},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/c409710b-gp0stpp5c_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;focalPoint&quot;:{&quot;x&quot;:0.5,&quot;y&quot;:0.5},&quot;id&quot;:2704}],&quot;gallery_block_style&quot;:0,&quot;gallery_block_title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_description&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;gallery_block_focus_points&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/ae0b70f5-gp0stpp5b_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/ae0b70f5-gp0stpp5b_pressmedia.jpg 1920w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/ae0b70f5-gp0stpp5b_pressmedia-600x406.jpg 600w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/ae0b70f5-gp0stpp5b_pressmedia-768x520.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/ae0b70f5-gp0stpp5b_pressmedia-1024x693.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/ae0b70f5-gp0stpp5b_pressmedia-502x340.jpg 502w&quot;,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;More than 200 people descended on New Zealand\\u2019s largest oil industry conference in Auckland and blocked its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience. It\\u2018s the first time in New Zealand that Greenpeace has invited the general public to get involved in a civil disobedience action en masse.&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;More than 200 people descended on New Zealand\\u2019s largest oil industry conference in Auckland and blocked its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience. It\\u2018s the first time in New Zealand that Greenpeace has invited the general public to take civil disobedience action en masse.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9 Nigel Marple \\\/ Greenpeace&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/778584af-gp0stpp5h_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/778584af-gp0stpp5h_pressmedia.jpg 1920w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/778584af-gp0stpp5h_pressmedia-600x406.jpg 600w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/778584af-gp0stpp5h_pressmedia-768x520.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/778584af-gp0stpp5h_pressmedia-1024x693.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/778584af-gp0stpp5h_pressmedia-502x340.jpg 502w&quot;,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;More than 200 people descended on New Zealand\\u2019s largest oil industry conference in Auckland and blocked its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience. It\\u2018s the first time in New Zealand that Greenpeace has invited the general public to take civil disobedience action en masse.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9 Nigel Marple \\\/ Greenpeace&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/e04b5af4-gp0stpp5f_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/e04b5af4-gp0stpp5f_pressmedia.jpg 1920w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/e04b5af4-gp0stpp5f_pressmedia-600x406.jpg 600w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/e04b5af4-gp0stpp5f_pressmedia-768x520.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/e04b5af4-gp0stpp5f_pressmedia-1024x693.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/e04b5af4-gp0stpp5f_pressmedia-502x340.jpg 502w&quot;,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;More than 200 people descended on New Zealand\\u2019s largest oil industry conference in Auckland and blocked its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience. It\\u2018s the first time in New Zealand that Greenpeace has invited the general public to take civil disobedience action en masse.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9 Nigel Marple \\\/ Greenpeace&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/d34bb462-gp0stpp5e_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/d34bb462-gp0stpp5e_pressmedia.jpg 1920w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/d34bb462-gp0stpp5e_pressmedia-600x406.jpg 600w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/d34bb462-gp0stpp5e_pressmedia-768x520.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/d34bb462-gp0stpp5e_pressmedia-1024x693.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/d34bb462-gp0stpp5e_pressmedia-502x340.jpg 502w&quot;,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;More than 200 people descended on New Zealand\\u2019s largest oil industry conference in Auckland and blocked its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience. It\\u2018s the first time in New Zealand that Greenpeace has invited the general public to take civil disobedience action en masse.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9 Nigel Marple \\\/ Greenpeace&quot;},{&quot;image_src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/c409710b-gp0stpp5c_pressmedia.jpg&quot;,&quot;image_srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/c409710b-gp0stpp5c_pressmedia.jpg 1920w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/c409710b-gp0stpp5c_pressmedia-600x406.jpg 600w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/c409710b-gp0stpp5c_pressmedia-768x520.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/c409710b-gp0stpp5c_pressmedia-1024x693.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/www.greenpeace.org\\\/static\\\/planet4-aotearoa-stateless\\\/2016\\\/03\\\/c409710b-gp0stpp5c_pressmedia-502x340.jpg 502w&quot;,&quot;image_sizes&quot;:false,&quot;alt_text&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;More than 200 people descended on New Zealand\\u2019s largest oil industry conference in Auckland and blocked its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience. It\\u2018s the first time in New Zealand that Greenpeace has invited the general public to take civil disobedience action en masse.&quot;,&quot;focus_image&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;credits&quot;:&quot;\\u00a9 Nigel Marple \\\/ Greenpeace&quot;}]}}\">\n<\/div>\n<p>Climate campaigner Steve Abel says despite years of public opposition and a failure to find any deep sea oil, John Key\u2019s Government has continued to invest in the drilling that threatens our communities, coastlines and climate.<\/p>\n\n<p>The protest comes just days after the announcement that February 2016 was the hottest month in history.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cWe have a Government and an oil industry hell-bent on drilling for the very oil that must stay in the ground if we\u2019re going to avoid climate change causing human catastrophe,\u201d says Abel.<\/p>\n\n<p>Currently, hundreds of people are planning to sit outside the main entrances of SkyCity&nbsp; in Auckland, where the 2016 Petroleum New Zealand Conference is being held.&nbsp; Protesters are expected to include Anglican Ministers, nurses, teachers and members of the Tuvaluan community, whose Islands are on the frontline of sea-level rise.<\/p>\n\n<p>Delegates arriving at the conference will be forced to skulk through basement entrances, step over people lining the pavement and navigate through a series of large red and white cards Greenpeace are calling \u201cOil Against Humanity\u201d.<\/p>\n\n<p>The cards, a spin-off of popular cult-like game Cards Against Humanity, pose a series of questions and answers about climate change and the oil industry.<\/p>\n\n<p>Inside the conference, Minister of Energy and Resources Simon Bridges will announce the 2016 Block Offers \u2013 the areas of New Zealand\u2019s ocean that will be on the market for oil exploration this year.<\/p>\n\n<p>Last year, almost 430,000 square kilometres were opened up for potential drilling.<\/p>\n\n<p>Abel says that the oil industry can have no future if we are to have any future.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s mad that John Key continues to prop it up. Climate change is the defining struggle of our generation and it needs to be dealt with now. We know that public participation is one of the most effective tools for creating change,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cPeaceful civil disobedience has been successfully used throughout history in the face of huge injustices. We\u2019re taking inspiration from people like Gandhi, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr, and the movements here in New Zealand that opposed apartheid and made us nuclear free.<\/p>\n\n<p>\u201cIn the face of Government and industry inaction it\u2019s going to take people power to secure the future we so urgently need &#8211; one that\u2019s run on 100% clean energy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>-ENDS-<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More than 200 people are descending on New Zealand\u2019s largest oil industry conference at dawn this morning and blocking its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil 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NZ\u2019s largest oil event<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/press-release\/hundreds-descend-on-central-auckland-to-blockade-nzs-largest-oil-event\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hundreds descend on Central Auckland to blockade NZ\u2019s largest oil event\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"More than 200 people are descending on New Zealand\u2019s largest oil industry conference at dawn this morning and blocking its entrances as part of a Greenpeace-organised demonstration of peaceful civil disobedience.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/aotearoa\/press-release\/hundreds-descend-on-central-auckland-to-blockade-nzs-largest-oil-event\/\" \/>\n<meta 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