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Protest Rally Main Image

Image description

A group of people protest. A cardboard sign reads: Good lives disabled by Penny's lies. Another sign reads: Carers care, do you?

Tāmaki Makaurau disability communities protest funding cuts

"No ifs, no buts, stop the disability funding cuts," chanted around 100 protesters gathered in Auckland's CBD on a wet and windy Sunday afternoon.

Image description: A group of disabled and nondisabled people protest, with a man speaking into a megaphone in front of the crowd. A cardboard sign reads: Good lives disabled by Penny's lies. Another sign reads: Carers care, do you?

  • A group of disabled and nondisabled people protest, with a man speaking into a megaphone in front of the crowd. A cardboard sign reads: Good lives disabled by Penny's lies.  Another sign reads: Carers care, do you?

Image description: Two disabled women pose for a photo on Queen Street; one is using a powered-wheelchair and wears a face mask. 

  • Two disabled women pose for a photo on Queen Street; one is using a powered-wheelchair and wears a face mask. 
  • Lorri Mackness and Vicki Terrell

    Lorri: "To uphold the mana of people who are disabled."

    Vicki: "I'm here because I want to support the disability community and I think it's really important to show solidarity, and I'm really appalled by the cuts."

Image description: A dad and two kids hold up cardboard placards; one reads: Return my rights! 

  • A dad and two kids hold up cardboard placards; one reads: Return my rights! 

Image description: A crowd of protesters listen to speakers at a rally. A sign reads: Respect carers.

  • A crowd of protestors listen to speakers at a rally. A sign reads: Respect carers.

Image description: A man with a black cap and pro-Palestine clothing is at a protest in front of city buildings.

  • A man with a black cap and pro-Palestine clothing is at a protest in front of city buildings.
  • Paul Brown

    "We keep hearing the Government don't care, but it's a deliberate attack on disabled people's rights." 

Image description: The wheels of a powered-wheelchair are rolling next to signs that read: Nothing about us without us, and Stop the cuts.

  • The wheels of a powered-wheelchair are rolling next to signs that read: Nothing about us without us, and Stop the cuts.

Image description: A woman with a prosthetic leg stands behind a baby pram and holds up two signs that read: Stop cuts, stop disabling our good lives! And: Kāti tēnā!

  • A woman with a prosthetic leg stands behind a baby pram and holds up two signs that read: Stop cuts, stop disabling our good lives! And: Kāti tēnā!

Image description: A young wheelchair-user wears glasses and holds up a sign that reads: Reverse the funding cut. 

  • A young wheelchair-user wears glasses and holds up a sign that reads: Revere the funding cut. 
  • Emma Cooper-Williams

    "I'm here because I have a right to be here and a right to access support, and be here in solidarity for everyone around the country."

Image description: A crowd of people with a placard that reads: Reverse the cuts. Flexible budgets now.

  • A crowd of people with a placard that reads: Reverse the cuts. Flexible budgets now.

Image description: A crowd of disabled and nondisabled people chant at a protest rally, a sign reads: Carers are a frontline service. Respite is essential for the welling of families. 

  • A crowd of disabled and nondisabled chant at a protest rally, a sign reads: Carers are a frontline service. Respite is essential for the welling of families.

Image description: A family with a woman in a wheelchair holds up a sign that reads: Give back flexibility, give me back my voice, give me back my choice, ordinary life outcomes!!!

  • A family with a young woman in a wheelchair hold up a sign that reads: Give back flexibility, give me back my voice, give me back my choice, ordinary life outcomes!!!
  • Mark, Denise and Melissa Hoffman

    Denise: "For her and other kids to have access to devices."

Image description: A crowd gathers at a protest rally. A woman stands in the middle raising and clapping her hands.

  • A crowd gathers at a protest rally. A woman stands in the middle raising and clapping her hands.

Image description: The back of a wheelchair-user wearing a blue jacket is among the crowd at a protest rally.

  • The back of a wheelchair-user wearing a blue jacket is among the crowd at a protest rally.

Image description: A man and woman hold a megaphone and stand in front of signs that read: Nothing about us without us.

  • A man and woman hold a megaphone and stand in front of signs that read: Nothing about us without us.
  • Scott and Melissa Peterson

    Melissa: "We want to reverse the funding cuts for the community - which the Government did without consultation from the community - and the changes to access equipment that you need for mobility."

Image description: A dog is lying on the ground among a crowd. A woman is in the background videoing on her phone.

  • A dog is lying on the ground among a crowd. A woman is in the background recording on her phone.

Image description: A man holds up a sign that reads: To Nicola Willis, Give Whaikaha (Ministry of Disabled People) a budget to support disabled people and their carers to have equity.

  • A man holds up a sign that reads: To Nicola Willis, Give Whaikaha (Ministry of Disabled People) a budget to support disabled people and their carers to have equity.

Image description: A child with Down syndrome sits in a pushchair and a woman stands beside him with a placard reading: System change. Flexible funding. 

  • A child with Down syndrome sits in a pushchair and a woman stands beside him with a placard reading: System change. Flexible funding. 
  • Phoenix and Julie

    Julie: "We need flexible funding back, otherwise mums will burnout without respite."

Image description: A man speaks into a microphone and a woman communicates in New Zealand Sign Language next to him.

  • A man speaks into a microphone and a woman communicates in New Zealand Sign Language next to him.

Image description: A group of people protest. A cardboard sign reads: Good lives disabled by Penny's lies. Another sign reads: Carers care, do you?

  • A group of people protest. A cardboard sign reads: Good lives disabled by Penny's lies. Another sign reads: Carers care, do you?

Image description: A young person in a powered-wheelchair and another young person head towards a crowd of people at a protest rally. 

  • A young person in a powered-wheelchair and another young person head towards a crowd of people at a protest rally. 
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