According to Radio New Zealand, almost 3,000 of anti-TPP protesters gathered in the capital city of Wellington, about 2,500 people marched in Auckland, a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island, and about 1,500 people in Dunedin, the second largest city in the country.
#NewZealand protestors deliver 100,000 signatures in opposition to #TPP: http://t.co/EutU0ZNdUC (image: @ScoopNZ) pic.twitter.com/PW4RRvKpdU
— Melinda St. Louis (@MelindaGTW) 13 августа 2015
"If the tide of political and public opinion turns against the TPP, the National Party are likely to think that this could be a very unpopular thing for them. Very unpopular come the next election, once people find out the consequences," an organizer of the event in Dunedin, Jen Olsen, was quoted by the radio station as saying.
Thousands turn out in New Zealand to protest the #TPP #TPPA #auspol http://t.co/QIUKN3jpd6
— WACA (@akaWACA) 15 августа 2015
The proposed TPP deal is expected to cover about 40 percent of the global economy. The opponents of the deal argue that world’s transnational corporations aim to undermine nations’ sovereignty in the interest of greater profits.
Another protester in Dunedin, Cameron Wood, said that "it's a wolf in sheep's clothing and I think that is why there hasn't been any transparency around it, why they're happy to keep it secret up until the last minute," according to the broadcaster.
No incidents were reported during the protests.
