The Prime Minister is weighing in on an Act MP’s suggestion that pro-Palestine protesters play “terro dress up”, following a rally in Auckland. 

Christopher Luxon said he supported free speech, but the comments were “unhelpful”. 

“It’s not what I’d say.” 

Act leader David Seymour, meanwhile, is backing his MP Simon Court over the comments, while the Green Party reiterated its call for the Government to “show a spine” on the matter. 

Court posted to social media site X, formerly Twitter, following the protest: “Saying you care while waving a flag and chanting for ethnic cleansing isn’t really that caring“. 

“Playing terro dress-up on weekend, go to work Monday feeling smug about the protest, not realising that most Kiwis they work with don’t actually share their emotional antisemitism [sic],” the MP added. 

A spokesperson said the term “terro” was believed to mean “terrorist chic” – a phrase used to describe a cultural trend associated with military or revolutionary groups. 

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson called it out: “History will judge this Government and people like Simon Court for failing to act against the genocide in Gaza.” 

“It’s time for the Government to show a spine, sanction Israel and recognise Palestinian statehood,” Davidson said. 

Meanwhile, Seymour is standing by Court for his remarks. 

“Here at Act, we don’t punish MPs for speaking their minds and Simon Court has every right to call it as he sees it. Free speech means people may say things others find uncomfortable, but it is far better than silencing those who speak up against extremism,” Seymour said to Newstalk ZB. 

The Act leader added that the party supports the right to protest, but said the rally was a “deliberate disruption to everyday people’s lives” and an event that “whether protesters admit it or not, implicitly condones the terrorist actions of Hamas”. 

“That’s not on in a country that values peace and democracy.” 

Court added that Hamas “might imagine they can win against a weak and divided West. They are wrong. Kiwis and our allies will never give in to this attempt to divide us.” 

The Act MP said the only way forward was for Hamas to release the hostages it is holding. 

Cabinet is today considering its options on whether New Zealand recognises a Palestinian state – previously deemed as a matter of when, not if. 

Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast on the war on Gaza, Luxon noted “it’s a pretty complex issue”. 

“You’ve seen protests over the weekend, there’s a range of views about whether recognition is appropriate or not appropriate,” Luxon said, addingthat Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters would have more to say in the coming weeks. 

Thousands of protesters joined a rally in Auckland over the weekend, which was initially planned for Auckland’s Harbour Bridge before severe weather warnings forced a change in plans. 

MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori joined the protest, which included calls for further sanctions on Israel. Some signs at the rally referenced Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick’s “spine" remark that landed her in hot water in Parliament. 

In August, Seymour took issue with MPs draping their seats in Parliament with keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern headdress, saying it would not be ideal if every Member of Parliament decorated their seats based on what side they take in a conflict. 

Last year, the coalition Government designated Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist group, following New Zealand listing its military wing as a terrorist entity since 2010. 

The Government has confirmed a formal decision on recognising a Palestinian state will be made in September, following Cabinet “carefully” weighing up the issue. 

Azaria Howell is a multimedia reporter working from Parliament’s press gallery. She joined NZME in 2022 and became a Newstalk ZB political reporter in late 2024, with a keen interest in public service agency reform and government spending.