The four members of the clergy chained themselves to the office earlier on Monday. Photo: Marika Khabazi / RNZ
Clergy are preparing to spend the night outside Erica Stanford's electorate office in the Auckland suburb of Browns Bay.
Four remain chained to the office doorway, as part of action coordinated by Aotearoa Christians for Peace in Palestine.
They are calling for clarity on when the government will sanction Israel amid the conflict in Gaza.
They are also calling for the government to recognise Palestinian statehood.
On Saturday, Foreign Minister Winston Peters told the United Nations that New Zealand would not yet do so.
Clergy protesting the government's lack of recognition for a Palestinian state at MP Erica Stanford's electorate office, September 2025. Photo: Marika Khabazi / RNZ
Reverend Philippa Young told RNZ that the clergy had not yet heard from Stanford.
The clergy had bed down for the night, and planned to remain tomorrow, but were "still contemplating what comes after that".
"We are trying to get this message to the government by whichever means we can," she said.
A similar protest took place earlier this month where clergy had chained themselves to Nicola Willis' office in the Wellington suburb of Johnsonville.
The six of them lasted 32 hours.
Clergy had also chained themselves to Simeon Brown's electorate office in Pakuranga.
Young said a prayer vigil for Gaza was held earlier, and there would be a public Eucharist held at 10.30am on Tuesday.
"We have had a good day up here.
"It's been a day of connection. Good connection with many who have walked past."
Young said Stanford had been invited to the Eucharist, and she wanted to read her an excerpt from her maiden speech.
"There is a sentence in her maiden speech when she was elected to Parliament that said, 'I love to see the world through the eyes of my children', and I would challenge the Minister to think about what life in Gaza looks like right now through the eyes of children.
"I would challenge her to take some time to sit with that and think about the message we are bringing: that love and concern for others demand action, and that all lives are so, so precious and should be valued.
"I know that she cares about children, and I think that if she can take this message to the government, then we'll deliver that message to her here."
Stanford has been contacted for comment.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
