Access Guide: March For Humanity in Tāmaki Makaurau

Tens of thousands of Aucklanders are expected to march through the city this weekend to put pressure on the Government to sanction Israel.

Editor note: please note the harbour bridge crossing is no longer going ahead due to high winds. The march will now take place from Aotea Square through to Victoria Park. Keep up to date with the latest via the Aotearoa for Pal Instagram.

Israel’s genocide on Gaza has been especially impactful on disabled Palestinians, with the UN reporting that 83 per cent of people with disabilities in Gaza have lost their assistive devices, including wheelchairs and hearing aids.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency representative, Hector Sharp, says reaching [the distribution points] and needing to physically compete for this aid “is difficult for all Palestinians, but all the more so for people with disabilities to whom aid is being effectively placed out of reach.” 

The organisers of the upcoming March For Humanity in Tāmaki Makaurau have done their best to ensure disabled people can get involved, even if they can’t come on the hīkoi.

What to expect

The March For Humanity will take place this Saturday, September 13 at 9.30am, departing from Onepoto Domain on Tarahanga Street and finishing at Victoria Park. Kaiāwhina will be at Victoria Park from 9am, and the first group from the hīkoi will arrive around 10.30am. 

For those arriving by car, there may be road closures as the 9.30am start time gets closer, so organisers recommend going as early as possible and arriving at Onepoto Domain by 9am at the latest.

The hīkoi will cover about 5.5 kilometres, and there will be very limited access to bathrooms along the way, other than toilet blocks in Onepoto Domain and Victoria Park, and portaloos, which will not be accessible. 

People are advised only to participate if they can commit to crossing the Harbour Bridge, as no one will be able to turn around once the march begins. The march could take several hours, so bring anything you may not be able to go hours without, like medication.

Those who use mobility aids and are keen to take part are encouraged to join the front of the hīkoi, where there will be more space.  

Those who want to exit the march early should ask kaiāwhina to assist them in exiting at Shelley Beach Road. From here, you can head to Jervois Road for buses back, or to Westhaven Marina, where there are bathrooms and a cafe. 

The march will go ahead regardless of the weather on the day, even if it is pouring with rain, so you may want to bring a waterproof raincoat just in case. There will also be loud chanting on the bridge, so earplugs and noise-canceling headphones are encouraged.

Getting there and parking

It is a good idea to look at the Onepoto Domain map ahead of time to plan which route you want to take into the park to ensure you enter at one of the paved footpaths with a curb cutout. You can park at the Downtown Carpark and take a 95 or 97 bus north, which will leave every 10 minutes from 7am. Otherwise, there is street parking near the beginning of the march. There are three mobility parking spaces, so it is best to arrive early if you want to get a spot.

Accessibility and terrain

Onepoto Domain has paved footpaths that are mostly flat. Once on the bridge, the terrain is relatively smooth; however, the journey from Onepoto Domain onto the bridge has a long incline of around 1:12. Kaiāwhina will be there to assist and can be identified by their green or pink high-vis vests. Those in pink vests will be specifically trained medics. Kaiāwhina can help disabled marchers find the best place in the Onepoto Domain to begin the march. The bridge may also be difficult to balance on. During the Treaty Principles Bill hīkoi last year, the 5000 people caused the harbour bridge to sway under their weight, so stability could become an issue. Guide dogs can be brought on the march; however, no other pets are allowed.

The march is one-way, so any pickups should be planned from Victoria Park. Those who are unable to march across the Harbour Bridge can gather in Victoria Park from 11am on Saturday, where there will be speakers and activities for Palestine throughout the day. People should follow the Aotearoa For Palestine social media pages for live updates on the day. The D*List has also published an accessible protesting guide, which you can read here.

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