Leader of the Democracy Hub demonstration Oliver Barker-Vormawor who has been granted bail in the sum of ¢20,000 on Wednesday, October 16, after three unsuccessful attempts, has accused the police of deliberately churning out isolated cases of what they describe as violent during their protest, repeated to create an impression that several acts of violence took place.He says the Police deliberately churned out sensational videos as quickly as possible to feed into their own narrative of what was happening on the grounds.Speaking in an interview with TV3's Kemini Amanor on Wednesday, October 23, he said "The first day the protest happened without incident the Police kept issuing statements upon statements that we were being violent.
When they did that we showed them pictures and videos of people playing football, they were trying to condition the atmosphere to use the violent video. One of the things that happens in many protests and it happened in the 'kumepreko' is when violence is used in a manner they use it, it detracts from the conversation of what the issue is.
Protesters do not go out and say we want to be violent towards you we are very set on the conversation we want to have.
Even when they [Police] have been brutal against protesters when the press covers it they don't say Police beat protesters they say police clash with protesters.