October 7, 2025 • 7 mins
A protester who shared Winston Peters' address on social media says she's only protested outside once.
Actress Acacia O'Connor has been criticised by the Greens for sharing the address - and she's lost her contract for ads for telco One NZ.
She says she doesn't know the person who smashed a window at the Foreign Minister's home last night
O'Connor says it's likely protests will continue.
She says she's so sorry to hear Peters' home was damaged - but she's asking him to help Palestinians whose homes are being bombed every day.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Telco One New Zealand has cut its contract with an
actor in its most recent campaign over the protests outside
Winston Peter's house. Now the actor is Acacia O'Connor, who
shared Winston Peter's address online and who stood next to
Chloe Swarbrick of the Greens at a press conference yesterday.
One of the windows on the Foreign Minister's property was
smashed last night. So let's talk to Akesha O'Connor high,
Acacia tan arquare heav do you know the person who
(00:23):
broke Winston's window?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
No, no, I've seen a photo and none of our
group seems to know who he is.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
So not connected to your your gaza protest, not connected
at all. Okay, do you think, given what has now happened,
but just you know the fact of protesting outside his house,
that you were wrong to protest outside his house and
share his address? H you know?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
I actually no, I don't think so. So it is
New Zealander's legal right to protest. And yeah, there was
a bill that was went through yesterday to try to
change that, of course, to be out of protest in
residential areas. But at this point when we when we
were there on the day that our friends were illegally
kidnapped by Israel. It was that was perfectly legal. The
(01:12):
cops were there and they were very actually quite supportive
of us and I sharing we were on. Yeah, oh yeah,
I was just into that. Yes, I was just saying, yes,
I shared the street that we were on to come
and join us for a peaceful protest.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So yeah, taking you guys at your word, what has
happened is you've you've shared his address out there and
and we now have somebody who's crowbarred his window, right,
So was that a wise idea?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I was really I was really sorry to hear about that.
I was really sorry to hear about that, for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
How many times have you been outside his house protesting?
Speaker 2 (01:47):
That was the first time I've been down there.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Actually, what about other guard protesters?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
There's been other protests outside Winston's house over the last
few years at various things. When Ruffia was first invaded,
there was a protest outside his house as well as
other kind of significant dates that people were worth saying,
is this how.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Many times do you?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I don't know, Actually I couldn't. I couldn't give you
a number.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
What's the late have any of them been after dark.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Probably, I would say so I in winter, I would imagine, So.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
What's the latest?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So we were there from six thirty ish till ten?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Do you think that's appropriate mine?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, as we said to the cops, and they agreed
with us that it's the We were aware of school
holidays because we have children, and we had some children
with us as well, and we were singing and we
were chanting and the noise control. When the noise control
asked us to quiet down, we quiet and down and
we left it ten, which they said was a reasonable
(02:58):
time for you.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
That there will be some occasions, And I know for
a fact there have been some occasions where you guys,
not just you obviously, but the group have been outside
his house and the only person inside his house is
his partner, who is a woman by herself. Can you
imagine how intimidating that is?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I really can, and I I am just hoping that
he can also.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
This is our last resort.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Do you know?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
We have tried to email and call and do the
protests in public spaces and tell.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Me, tell me you're thinking here, Acacia, you've got a
woman in her what I don't know, late sixties early
mid seventies. Who is by herself in the house, Who's
going to do what? Call her partner and be like, oh, listen,
these guys want you to, you know, take a diplomamatic
standard like that's illogical. You're just scaring a woman.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I don't see it that way. We were not being
threatening and.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You don't think so. You don't think there have been
occasions where paint has been poured on their patio. You
don't think that that's scary.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well, I'm actually have been more involved with the global
movement to Gaza, which has been a newer and newer
I've been a newer joining of all of this, so
I actually haven't I don't know about about these occasions.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
But what about like what about the other kids at school,
holidays or not? Kids go to bed, you know yourself,
if they are under the age of flip, I mean nine,
they're going to bed at seven at night. So for
three hours, you're disrupting neighborhood kids.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Yeah. We, as I said before, we were singing, and
we did keep the noise to a to a level
that we was deemed appropriate by the cops and had
loud hailers control and at the very beginning we had
loud Hale's while the sun was still up, as you
said before, and then we changed it to to singing
and to to we even the mood was full of
(04:53):
love and my love. Love.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Love is clearly bloody subjective in this case. I don't
think the jan on the inside is going to feel
like these love coming tell me that this is the
last time it's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Acacia, Well, I don't. I am not an authority on that,
but the Global Movement to Gaza we are a peaceful,
a peaceful group and we.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Well, just so that you understand what it looks like
from the other side, you do not look peaceful. You
look like you're trying to scare people. Yeah, and where
maybe you guys.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Need to go and taking for peace. We are fighting
for Winston Peter's house. I'm so sorry to hear that
it had a stone go through it, But we're here
trying to ask him to extend the right of a
safe home to Palestinians whose homes are being bombed every
day indiscriminately not appropriate.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
It doesn't make it appropriate, man, Just because there is
some crime going on on the other side of the world,
which absolutely is upsetting so many of us who are mums.
Does not make it appropriate for you to start harassing
people in this country now. So I'm taking it from
what you've said. It's not going to be the last time?
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I imagine? I imagine not. But I, like I said, I
don't have anything to do with you.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
You realize that you are going to force the opposition
in Parliament to vote for that piece of legislation that
you don't want, because they're going to have to vote
for it, now.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Cletely well, I feel I can see that they are
trying to take the rights of protesters away.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, and I think I'm okay with that in this case.
Do you not think most people will be okay with that?
Speaker 2 (06:18):
I don't know. I don't know about most people, but
I'm at the point where I'd be willing to beg
to sit at Winston Peter's feet and beg for him
to take a stand for Palestine occasion.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Nobody all the other Acacia, Nobody is gonna, Nobody is
gonna is going to criticize you for your position on Gaza.
We most of us feel like that it's the way
that you're doing it listen very quickly.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Have you had to hear that most of you feel
that way?
Speaker 1 (06:43):
You just pull your head in on this action, man,
it's inappropriate. Quick quickly tell me have you heard from
One New Zealand about cutting you out of the ads?
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I have, Yes, I have?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And what do they cut the contract? Have they?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yes? The contract has been cut. Yeah, as they are
choosing profit other people.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
All right, Akasha, thanks very much, really appreciate your time.
Acacia O'Connor, Gaza activist and protester who shared Winston Peter's
address online. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen
live to news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
Telco One New Zealand has cut its contract with an
actor in its most recent campaign over the protests outside
Winston Peter's house. Now the actor is Acacia O'Connor, who
shared Winston Peter's address online and who stood next to
Chloe Swarbrick of the Greens at a press conference yesterday.
One of the windows on the Foreign Minister's property was
smashed last night. So let's talk to Akesha O'Connor high,
Acacia tan arquare heav do you know the person who
(00:23):
broke Winston's window?
Speaker 2 (00:25):
No, no, I've seen a photo and none of our
group seems to know who he is.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
So not connected to your your gaza protest, not connected
at all. Okay, do you think, given what has now happened,
but just you know the fact of protesting outside his house,
that you were wrong to protest outside his house and
share his address? H you know?
Speaker 2 (00:47):
I actually no, I don't think so. So it is
New Zealander's legal right to protest. And yeah, there was
a bill that was went through yesterday to try to
change that, of course, to be out of protest in
residential areas. But at this point when we when we
were there on the day that our friends were illegally
kidnapped by Israel. It was that was perfectly legal. The
(01:12):
cops were there and they were very actually quite supportive
of us and I sharing we were on. Yeah, oh yeah,
I was just into that. Yes, I was just saying, yes,
I shared the street that we were on to come
and join us for a peaceful protest.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So yeah, taking you guys at your word, what has
happened is you've you've shared his address out there and
and we now have somebody who's crowbarred his window, right,
So was that a wise idea?
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I was really I was really sorry to hear about that.
I was really sorry to hear about that, for sure.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
How many times have you been outside his house protesting?
Speaker 2 (01:47):
That was the first time I've been down there.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Actually, what about other guard protesters?
Speaker 2 (01:51):
There's been other protests outside Winston's house over the last
few years at various things. When Ruffia was first invaded,
there was a protest outside his house as well as
other kind of significant dates that people were worth saying,
is this how.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
Many times do you?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I don't know, Actually I couldn't. I couldn't give you
a number.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
What's the late have any of them been after dark.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Probably, I would say so I in winter, I would imagine, So.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
What's the latest?
Speaker 2 (02:28):
So we were there from six thirty ish till ten?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Do you think that's appropriate mine?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, as we said to the cops, and they agreed
with us that it's the We were aware of school
holidays because we have children, and we had some children
with us as well, and we were singing and we
were chanting and the noise control. When the noise control
asked us to quiet down, we quiet and down and
we left it ten, which they said was a reasonable
(02:58):
time for you.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
That there will be some occasions, And I know for
a fact there have been some occasions where you guys,
not just you obviously, but the group have been outside
his house and the only person inside his house is
his partner, who is a woman by herself. Can you
imagine how intimidating that is?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I really can, and I I am just hoping that
he can also.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
This is our last resort.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Do you know?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
We have tried to email and call and do the
protests in public spaces and tell.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Me, tell me you're thinking here, Acacia, you've got a
woman in her what I don't know, late sixties early
mid seventies. Who is by herself in the house, Who's
going to do what? Call her partner and be like, oh, listen,
these guys want you to, you know, take a diplomamatic
standard like that's illogical. You're just scaring a woman.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I don't see it that way. We were not being
threatening and.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
You don't think so. You don't think there have been
occasions where paint has been poured on their patio. You
don't think that that's scary.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well, I'm actually have been more involved with the global
movement to Gaza, which has been a newer and newer
I've been a newer joining of all of this, so
I actually haven't I don't know about about these occasions.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
But what about like what about the other kids at school,
holidays or not? Kids go to bed, you know yourself,
if they are under the age of flip, I mean nine,
they're going to bed at seven at night. So for
three hours, you're disrupting neighborhood kids.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Yeah. We, as I said before, we were singing, and
we did keep the noise to a to a level
that we was deemed appropriate by the cops and had
loud hailers control and at the very beginning we had
loud Hale's while the sun was still up, as you
said before, and then we changed it to to singing
and to to we even the mood was full of
(04:53):
love and my love. Love.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Love is clearly bloody subjective in this case. I don't
think the jan on the inside is going to feel
like these love coming tell me that this is the
last time it's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Acacia, Well, I don't. I am not an authority on that,
but the Global Movement to Gaza we are a peaceful,
a peaceful group and we.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Well, just so that you understand what it looks like
from the other side, you do not look peaceful. You
look like you're trying to scare people. Yeah, and where
maybe you guys.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Need to go and taking for peace. We are fighting
for Winston Peter's house. I'm so sorry to hear that
it had a stone go through it, But we're here
trying to ask him to extend the right of a
safe home to Palestinians whose homes are being bombed every
day indiscriminately not appropriate.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
It doesn't make it appropriate, man, Just because there is
some crime going on on the other side of the world,
which absolutely is upsetting so many of us who are mums.
Does not make it appropriate for you to start harassing
people in this country now. So I'm taking it from
what you've said. It's not going to be the last time?
Is that right?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I imagine? I imagine not. But I, like I said, I
don't have anything to do with you.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
You realize that you are going to force the opposition
in Parliament to vote for that piece of legislation that
you don't want, because they're going to have to vote
for it, now.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Cletely well, I feel I can see that they are
trying to take the rights of protesters away.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Yeah, and I think I'm okay with that in this case.
Do you not think most people will be okay with that?
Speaker 2 (06:18):
I don't know. I don't know about most people, but
I'm at the point where I'd be willing to beg
to sit at Winston Peter's feet and beg for him
to take a stand for Palestine occasion.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Nobody all the other Acacia, Nobody is gonna, Nobody is
gonna is going to criticize you for your position on Gaza.
We most of us feel like that it's the way
that you're doing it listen very quickly.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Have you had to hear that most of you feel
that way?
Speaker 1 (06:43):
You just pull your head in on this action, man,
it's inappropriate. Quick quickly tell me have you heard from
One New Zealand about cutting you out of the ads?
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (06:52):
I have, Yes, I have?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
And what do they cut the contract? Have they?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yes? The contract has been cut. Yeah, as they are
choosing profit other people.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
All right, Akasha, thanks very much, really appreciate your time.
Acacia O'Connor, Gaza activist and protester who shared Winston Peter's
address online. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen
live to news Talks it'd be from four pm weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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