What happened at ACT's big campaign event in Christchurch

Protesters interrupted ACT's South Island campaign launch at Christchurch Town Hall on Friday night. Three women calling for sanctions on Israel were shouted down by party supporters before being removed from the building.

ACT leader David Seymour was halfway through his speech when the disruption began, according to RNZ. Security was tight. Bags were searched for hundreds of attendees, and several people were removed before speeches even started. The Post reported that a stink bomb was also set off, likely by one of eight protesters who had been loudly calling on Seymour to sanction Israel.

The launch took place on 21 August and was ACT's main campaign event in the South Island for the 2026 election. Seymour was joined on stage by the party's new Deputy Leader Nicole McKee, list candidate Paul Henry, sitting MPs, candidates and party members, according to the party's event listing. McKee's promotion to deputy leader was confirmed in that same listing.

The protest follows a similar pattern at National Party events. Days earlier, a National public meeting in Christchurch was disrupted around half a dozen times by protesters over Israel's wars in the Middle East, mining on the West Coast, and southern data centres.

ACT also used the Christchurch launch to announce a plan for a national cancer centre. The idea came from list candidate Paul Henry, who said it as an off-the-cuff remark and expected to be told off for it. Instead, the party adopted the plan and committed to building the $2 billion centre if re-elected in November.

The cancer centre would have two campuses, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. The money would come from a mix of sources: donations, existing government health funding, private investment, and a public-private partnership — which is when the government teams up with private companies to share the cost and risk of a big project. Attendees at the launch responded positively.

The broader context here is that protests at political events are becoming more common during this election cycle. Both National and ACT have now had Christchurch meetings disrupted within days of each other, and the protests have ranged from shouting to physical acts like the stink bomb. For parties getting ready for a November election, security at public events is changing. ACT's decision to run tight bag searches and remove people early suggests the party was prepared for disruption, and the crowd's hostile reaction to the protesters shows party supporters are not willing to put up with it quietly.

The cancer centre announcement is also worth thinking about. ACT has built its brand on cutting government spending and making the state smaller. A $2 billion cancer centre backed by public money does not fit neatly with that approach. The fact that the idea came from a list candidate's spontaneous remark, rather than from the party leadership or its policy team, makes it even more unusual. Whether the policy holds up as the campaign goes on, and how it fits with ACT's other spending promises, will be a question for the coming weeks.

Otago Daily Times published its own coverage of the protest. RNZ filed its report under its Election 2026 coverage.