Hundreds of people were at Raglan Domain on Monday 1st to see the mass chain bomb* off the Papahua footbridge.
The event was held to send a DON’T SIGN message about the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) which is to be signed by the TPPA ministers on 4 February in Auckland. The agreement is believed to deliver minimal benefits to New Zealand and have many negatives.
Protest signs started appearing on the footbridge from early morning. By 3.30pm several signs and protest flags were on the bridge. The chain bombers were lined up on the beach and given safety instructions over a megaphone.
The divers then moved into position on the bridge. After a countdown from the the crowd of onlookers, the controller ran along the bridge touching each jumper with a towel as the signal to jump. They then jumped progressively into the high tide of the Opotoru Creek. Then in the best Raglan tradition they did it again and again.
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Safety boats, Police and St John Ambulance were in attendance, but there were no safety incidents.
Organisers were pleased with the event and said that people can help by completing this petition asking the Governor General not to sign the TPPA legislation. It can be signed online – http://www.actionstation.org.nz/dontsign
The next protest against signing the TPPA will be a march from Aotea Square, Auckland at noon on Thursday 4 February
* Bomb: – A jump into water in a squatting position, with the arms wrapped around the legs, for maximum splashing. Not the other sort of bomb!
Posted by Raglan 23 – the Raglan Website on Sunday, 31 January 2016
Another video of the dive bombing on One News Now: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/more-than-200-tpp-protestors-turn-out-at-raglan.html?autoPlay=4731205581001