Police should not be involved with rāhui

This post is really pushing it because it totally bears the inferential interpretation that the beach is closed pursuant to a religious or cultural injunction.

The other reading is that police are simply raising awareness and relaying a request from those who have issued the… pic.twitter.com/jNM0yl3Qyf

— Liam Hehir (@PronouncedHare) December 1, 2024

It was the wrong call by the Police to issue this release. The Police are the state agency empowered to enforce laws and arrest people who don’t comply. When the Police say “the community is asked to refrain from ocean based activities” it will be treated by many as an order.

A rahui is a prohibition based on religious or spiritual belief. The Police should not be involved with communicating them. Or at the very least they should have a release which says “Kaumatua have asked the community to refrain …” to make clear the request is not one being made by the Police who have no role in enforcing religious requests.

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