By Times Team

Copyright times

Motorists intending to travel around Auckland this Saturday, September 13, are being urged to plan ahead due to protest action that’s expected to cause traffic disruptions on and near the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather for the ‘March for Humanity’ across the bridge that day to demand the Government sanction Israel for the “ongoing genocide in Gaza”.

The march is organised by Aotearoa for Palestine, a coalition of Palestinians and tangata whenua.

“The genocide in Gaza is undeniable,” group spokesperson Nadine Mortaja says.

“Forced starvation is being used as a weapon of war, along with mass killing, and the destruction of Gaza’s health system.

“New Zealand has a moral and legal obligation to act, and must sanction Israel now.”

The planned demonstration follows similar anti-genocide marches over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Brisbane’s Victoria Bridge in Australia last month, each attracting 50,000-100,000 protestors.

Last year, tens of thousands crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge for the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti.

“The Auckland Harbour Bridge is a site of great significance to the Māori sovereignty movement,” the group’s Māori spokesperson, Dr Arama Rata, says.

“It has carried generations of indigenous struggle across the Waitematā Harbour, from The Land March led by Whina Cooper in 1975, to the Foreshore and Seabed Hīkoi in 2004, to last year’s Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti where Palestinians stood with us in unwavering support, recognising the inseparability of our resistance against colonialism.”

In addition to their key demand for New Zealand to sanction Israel, organisers of the march are calling for an immediate unconditional ceasefire and an immediate end to the blockade and reinstatement of UNRWA to allow life-saving aid to safely enter Gaza.

“When we cross the Auckland Harbour Bridge, we march not just as Palestinians and our supporters, but as human beings demanding an end to genocide,” Mortaja says.

“Our voices will echo the global call for justice in Palestine, and we call on all people of conscience in Aotearoa New Zealand to join us on this peaceful March for Humanity.”

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and Auckland Transport (AT) will be supporting police to ensure the safety of road users and participants on September 13.

The protest march is expected to travel south across the Auckland Harbour Bridge into the central city from Northcote, which will mean delays for southbound road users.

With significant disruption also expected for the surrounding transport network, NZTA and AT are urging people to check the latest information before travelling in the city.

In particular, people who are travelling southbound into the city on Saturday are urged to plan ahead to avoid the bridge or consider delaying their journey if they can.

Heavy congestion and delays are expected on both sides of the bridge as well as other state highways and local roads.

Motorists should consider using the Western Ring Route on State Highways 16 and 18.

It’s recommended that freight vehicles use that route.

NZTA and AT will be closely monitoring the impact on the city’s network through their joint Auckland Traffic Operations Centre and will provide real-time updates for road users on any delays or disruptions.