Priests Chain Themselves to the Office of Nicola Willis in Solidarity with Gaza

Te Urukeiha Tuhua (he/they/ia, Tūhoe) 

“We pray for our elected officials and for our MPs May they let themselves see the suffering and violence engulfing Gaza May their eyes be opened with compassion.” - from ‘Prayers of Solidarity and Lament’ 

On September 15 a group of priests chained themselves to the door of Nicola Willis’ Johnsonville office and stayed overnight, demanding sanctions on Israel. 

Initially they sought a meeting with Willis, to ask if the government would provide a timeframe for when they would impose meaningful sanctions on Israel, recognise Palestinian statehood, and uphold international law. After being turned away and told to return another day, they chose to remain at her door in protest. “The people in Gaza don’t have another day,” said Reverend Andy Hickman. 

The group of priests—five Anglican and one Catholic—held vigil and spent time in prayer. They were linked together at the wrists by chains, and intended to remain outside the office overnight. A second group comprising of Anglican and Baptist priests staged a sit-in at Simeon Brown’s office in Auckland with the same intention, and left without incident after being trespassed by police. In Johnsonville, police approached the clergy but didn’t take any action against them. 

Hickman said that they received an outpouring of support from people in the community, who brought them food, blankets, and medication. “There was no one here pushing an agenda, they just cared. It was not about anyone, it was about the cause, and about aroha.” 

Nicola Willis described the protest as “disruptive”, and said that it was “intimidating” to members of the public coming to her office to meet with her. However, the scene outside her office told a different story, with various members of the public approaching the priests to express gratitude for their action. 

Hickman told Salient that he’d had discussions with multiple Johnsonville residents who described the list MP as hard to reach; some reported almost daily failed attempts to meet with Willis. Some expressed skepticism that Willis was ever inside her office; many said they had never seen her face.

University Chaplain Reverend Mel McKenzie said that their protest aimed to be “redemptively disruptive: Disruptive, but not for the sake of causing disruption.” She mentioned the work done by organisations like Falastin Tea Collective, the attempts of the Freedom Flotilla to break the siege in Gaza, and the ongoing global conversations happening about recognising Palestinian statehood. She said that her and the other priests aimed to direct attention to these issues and push governments to take action. 

“No more statements. We’ve got to push governments to make commitments, and if not then we’ll hold them accountable at the ballot box, or by more acts of civil disobedience.” 

The clergy settled down for the night outside the office, still chained to the door. Throughout the night people continued to show up and offer support in various ways, some bringing hot tea and freshly baked cookies. McKenzie said they had been gifted so much food they would need to donate leftovers to a local foodbank. 

The priests reported similar accounts of the night, and were touched by the amount of support they received. McKenzie described her experience, and the support she required: “[being chained] gives you that sense of really restricted movement … You rely on the help of everybody else, and if they don’t help you, you’re stuck.” 

According to Hickman, a group of people had set up a Whatsapp group chat to ensure that there would always be a dozen people keeping watch over the priests so they could sleep. “We effectively had full-time security on a rotation,” he said. 

“Surely this is how the world should look?” McKenzie said. “That we offer that level of care, and that when we’re really vulnerable, others should watch over us.” 

At 10am the following morning the clergy held a communion service outside the office, attended by around 50 people. An invitation was extended to Willis to join them for the service. She declined. 

Reverend Christopher Kirby reminded everyone to keep their focus on Palestine. He read aloud a message he’d received from a person in Gaza: “The situation is extremely dire and catastrophic. A series of violent airstrikes are hitting our people right now … Please pray.” Kirby then led the congregation in a waiata, followed by karakia and prayer. 

While Willis failed to make an appearance, a caucus from the Green Party met with the clergy. 

Of the priests’ actions, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said: “From love and a duty to the true teachings of Christ—they call for sanction, for humanity, for enduring peace through justice. I know who I would rather choose as role models for my children. Certainly not MPs who bury their heads in the sand while being apologists for genocide.” 

Prior to Parliament sitting, the clergy held an extended prayer session. 

“We pray that it would make the people who have the power squirm, and that they would know that there is focus on this and that the mood is shifting,” Kirby said. “We pray for sanctions, and pray for them to take action now.” 

Davidson, having spoken to the priests that morning, brought a sign from the protest, reading: “Sanctions Speak Louder Than Words”, into Parliament that day. During question time she asked for Christopher Luxon’s “response to the Christian priests protesting outside Nicola Willis's office, who say ‘it is clear New Zealand is not doing all it can to intervene and put pressure on Israel to uphold international law’?”

Luxon responded by citing travel bans placed on Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and on extremist settlers in the West Bank. From there the question was rapidly derailed by attempts to recenter Hamas, and the release of hostages.New Zealand has leveraged no financial sanctions against Israel. By contrast, we have to date sanctioned ~1,800 individuals and more than 450 Russian-affiliated companies and state bodies in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—a fact noted by other members of the House during that session. 

Luxon also hasn’t provided information on whether foreign minister Winston Peters will recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations meeting, set to take place in New York at the end of September. “We are working our way through a cabinet process to arrive at a final decision about our position.” 

After 32 hours chained to Willis’ office, the priests concluded their vigil. They may have been leaving the office, but Hickman was adamant: “We’re not going away.”

“None of us are going away. We’re here, we are the people, we are the community.” He said that they wouldn’t feel guilty for feeling that they’d reached their limit, and that they needed to go see their whānau and fulfil their other commitments. 

The vigil ended with prayer and a closing karakia. The priests left a bouquet of flowers outside the office door, and said that their offer to meet with Willis for coffee remains open.