![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTwtFYpHNIonJNPB-TEMR9z9PqqdCSE1G_PcE_i9EQAkc5PEgse510yAjlk2FZCMUgRRpv-yG9buSfmhFEPFYd_GukZTkRLYMeq-q_LdWjzVm8NS8u2X3REzcw91HQ6zL6eg9/s400/MarchFront_STG41407.jpg)
1 - I took some time out over lunch to catch the final stage of the protest march against the anti-smacking bill. I hadn't had the pleasure of photographing a protest march before, so this was a new experience.
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2 - There were two teams - the pro-smackers (400 odd) and the anti-smackers (30 or so). I tried to position myself along the fault line between the two opposing teams - but apart from one valiant sort who butted up against slogan yelling fanatics with such heroic lines as 'Now... listen to me... you've been misinformed...', there wasn't really any action.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlBoUumEAdCEmhCOy-7l7GzJUmNk-YWE3lPzFvL544Pa_IfaCyGdf1elbPFKuI8C-BOYzRoj75F4FVDFHUiOsX5OL641qfHGyFhDtX39mmZYeA_N3Klh3OIie_VtjbetcdfID/s400/ArgumentadDeity_STG41443.jpg)
3 - both sides seemed to want to claim the religious high ground.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfoDlDMHxCCFtSXSCLZ2e9Vc2uKf9XxCj2FtNoeVtrKgo578yOOwGoMvn-xjs7jw-ZkQ_NpZH3CYWYfNDEDU3Ip1yVvvpEk1nh3jQWAW4cQGdAmolD0ewPuO8USk6K_mT3jpUP/s400/FamilyFist_STG41476.jpg)
4 - the 'Family First' foundation seemed to come in for some criticism
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji26uGtT4lI5ECfD0Qb59Sm59A1V7zuPUVc3A-dZpJJFWBTLsrFXaOFNjPMZpCqH9BHysJLk7AH6P9kbfelGaB6ndRM9NQQaPQd3SqekSwtYu3C8hXXpa51uhI5N6Yyx7UscFW/s400/AntiSmack_STG41480.jpg)
5 - plenty to say. No one was listening.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN92UcZ8IHhBXbAKwD3VTjljvOMRN_Bg_g3XQA3FvviwjwADwSGz99GsjKWTQB4o-XC8hHCZD9TVTruSxxyopEwnDqp23M81GjZxcBZZXLKVFHLpko9q-Btn980WdmkWJ9vjh1/s400/Explaining_STG41497.jpg)
6 - pro-smacker engaging in polite conversation with anti-smackers
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbpIafciqfBm5KuJHIFHDP_wXGvvwNx0AA5jLv3GZotgt80BpHh47M-rZQGMf6gcakphwn4rn9YV_NQ28iavbQK1Jmjafuv_a2Woa4vlEYVw0UWfkUNZ4z9Lod5aPswymxc-N/s400/Explaining2_STG41498.jpg)
7 - it didn't really work... still, the paparazzi smelled action and swarmed around
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8 - Lindsay Perigo in the limelight
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBnB_gEr-pkkjGqKMhzv3uxSnqj-WgcN-sdFEvL8BKvIuqBpR5XklyRlEVEv9BiOsVAaPfg-v6shUg2tg-LVGT9pkXNczvOsx0vjML8CrbysiNWnC1ESQEDzqiqnegPhBXAUuU/s400/Watching_STG41512.jpg)
9
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3JhJQndI2SXccB2ITTbrnVjhAIdJTtdf0vUm9WY19QRqOlB58bfXvjEAo3tVT-Fx19ujnr3CJr1dTdi2oXxaDB1fYl51pIDuzkUEBAruFqZEUlchMbxP-25sHvnmQB0IybLI/s400/Speaker_STG41505.jpg)
10
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-oeU1RhMV0y2-FU8GM4pw0aa-haR4FN2cjVdXsg44ud3ois7kLWQ_clZ5fULgdw83MD4VcHTlrG-oES21b1jI2pReVHisbgZ1DKOoW_N2Qw3oQkZQT9kH47HcFsWV249yHtI/s400/Rankin_STG41526.jpg)
11 - Christine Rankin making an art form out of argument ad hominem (or, more accurately argumentum ad personam)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8fJuwKw2a8YujmW_DLMUm7VDHsjF9Odry0Q2cQPnj8jDqhejrU809B6m0mNZpSwymABchLbysZ09nSMJ3oqZa600HlZ7g4Oc99p4K3vROYX0o_ACf9Cbu7b05XOTZNsixfGy/s400/RandomKid1_STG41429.jpg)
12 - both sides paraded their kids around...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugbZ7dYOArh8S72a4Ne3FI87MypVmFZuIFzjY4P-y9SBllA4aTJI5JVo5DdjsLntOhhUF-fqA3hps_ceUNvv4UxqJkMn7GAVRmFwsP1riqOdvY_89V57P8y8wOur-pQBOYhRI/s400/RandomKid2_STG41433.jpg)
13 - ...most didn't seem to care (and probably should have been at school)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEafTwNlVZqeKQGjnzEkL5nR2EFJ8qJjO9u9b6TWjIuWn9Y5sFsOKihG76zdTSTsGM5UGXrJ04uTVnsgAWQjKek8upEFV6IFFr3dDLMgS0KX08YIDb4FKyec6K0xXImZrL6Cmg/s400/RandomKid3_STG41438.jpg)
14 - Well, I report... you decide...
Some further reading: the New Zealand Herald's report, Stuff.co.nz's report, the protest organisers' webpage, the Repeal Section 59 webpage, and the Green Party's webpage on section 59.