Not only is it difficult to measure whether a protest has been successful, they can be harmful too. READ MORE:* Groundswell NZ Southland organisers 'blown away' by support* Farmer protest gains traction throughout the country* Farmers group plans more protest action as it expands into Canterbury and West CoastJust look at the disastrous protest in Morrinsville leading up to the 2017 election. Denise Piper/Stuff Every article I read painted the protest as being about the so-called ute tax, a ridiculous hill to die on if ever I saw one. New Zealand farmer protests have a proud history of shooting themselves squarely in the gumboot, and I watched the build up to July 16’s Howl of Protest with a sick certainty we were in for a repeat performance. But despite the fact it probably won’t spur any changes I think I might have witnessed my very first successful farmer protest.

Source: Stuff July 20, 2021 17:00 UTC