Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel on The Town’s Reaction

HOW IS YOUR CITY COPING?

HOW ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES BANDING TOGETHER?

HOW DOES THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY FEEL TODAY?

I STILL THINK THAT WE'RE ALL IN A STATE OF SHOCK, AND A STATE OF DISBELIEF, THAT THIS COULD EVEN HAPPEN IN OUR CITY AND OUR COUNTRY.

AND I THINK THAT THERE IS A FEELING THAT HAS BEEN FELT ACROSS THE CITY, THE COUNTRY, AND INDEED THE WORLD, FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF CONCERN THAT I'VE RECEIVED, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING, THAT THEY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN HERE.

BUT IF YOU CAN SEE THE FLORAL TRIBUTES, BEHIND ME, THEN IT IS THAT COMING TOGETHER, THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE, AND COMPASSION, AND KINDNESS THAT I HAVE HEARD REFLECTED BACK TO ME, AMONGST THE FAMILIES AND THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS HERE IN CHRISTCHURCH, THEY FEEL UTTERLY SUPPORTED BY THE WIDER COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME OF GRIEF AND TRAGEDY.

I DO INDEED SEE THE FLOW OF TRIBUTES.

AND I TAKE YOUR POINT, THAT NOBODY COULD IMAGINE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED IN NEW ZEALAND, OF ALL PLACES.

WHICH IS KNOWN FOR ITS DIVERSITY, FOR ITS WELCOMING OF REFUGEES, FOR ITS PEACE, AND AS I SAID, EVEN, EVEN BILLIONAIRES FROM THE UNITED STATES ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE TO NEW ZEALAND FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME PEACE AND QUIET IN THIS TERRIBLE WORLD.

SO SHOULD WE BE SURPRISED THAT THIS HAPPENED IN NEW ZEALAND?

WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE LED YOU TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS THIS RISING WHITE NATIONALISM IN YOUR MIDST?

I THINK THE POINT THAT I HAD MADE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IS THIS HATRED, THIS CRIMINAL INTENT WAS NOT BORN OF OUR COUNTRY.

IT WAS IMPORTED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTACKING A SAFE CITY, AND A SAFE COUNTRY.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE THE TIME TO EVEN THE EXTREMIST VIEWS OF THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN CREDENCE TO THE PERSON WHO HAS PERPETRATED THESE TERRIBLE CRIMES.

BUT I THINK THAT THAT SENSE OF DELIBERATENESS ASKS US TO RESPOND IN A WAY THAT SAYS WE WILL NOT BE DIVIDED BY THE HATRED.

WE WILL BE UNITED BY THE LOVE AND THE COMPASSION THAT WE SEE REFLECTED BEHIND ME.

SO I THINK THE POINT THAT THE PRIME MINISTER MADE, THAT THIS IS NOT OUR CITY, THIS IS NOT OUR COUNTRY, THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE, THE EXPRESSIONS BEHIND US, THAT'S WHO WE ARE, WE COME TOGETHER AT TIMES LIKE THIS, AND WE WILL SUPPORT THIS COMMUNITY, AND AS I WILL SAY TO THEM, WE WILL SUPPORT THEM FOREVER.

IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF SOMETHING THAT JUST STARTS AND ENDS WITH THE BURIALS OF THEIR LOVED ONES.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES FOREVER.

AND WE DO HAVE TO REFLECT ON THE CAUSES OF THIS HATRED THAT PERMEATES THE WORLD, THAT HAS BEEN IMPORTED INTO OUR COUNTRY, AND WE MUST MAKE SURE THAT WE JOIN THE REST OF THE WORLD TO ENSURE THAT IT IS STUFFED OUT.