A video of an interaction between a homeless man and a Gisborne District Council staff member has gone viral with criticism over how the altercation was handled.
The video was originally recorded earlier this year and put on YouTube but was re-uploaded on TikTok on Monday with the caption: "How Gisborne District Council treats the most vulnerable people in the community under mayor Rehette Stoltz's leadership."
In the video, the man repeatedly said "I am homeless, please stop harassing me" as the council member told him he was getting a fine for staying where he was for more than three nights.
When the man continued to tell the council member he was homeless, she muttered: "I wonder why", before rolling up her car window.
The man then questioned the council member on why she said that and when he tried to get her licence plate, she drove the car forward to make sure he couldn't get it.
The man, who asked to remain anonymous, told Newshub the council member has "harassed" him before.
"It has psychologically damaged me," the man told Newshub. "I am suffering from really bad depression."
He told Newshub when he spoke to the council, they accused him of harassing their staff and said the council member was "doing her job".
The man told Newshub [she] "seems to think her job is intimating people until they leave".
He added he wasn't doing anything wrong and that she was doing the wrong thing.
Gisborne District Council posted a statement on their Facebook page about the viral video which said: "In response to a video of one of our staff posted to various social media platforms today. The person who recorded the video has had many prior dealings with staff and has been offered alternative solutions but has refused any help.
"He's been obstructive, abusive, spread lies and allegations through social media channels about staff carrying out their work."
The council added where individuals are causing "adverse effects" on the environment, such as camping/parking in non-designated areas, littering, lighting fires, defecating in bushes, or damaging property, "we will infringe those responsible".
Many people responded to the statement and said the council staffer was in the wrong.
One user commented: "It still doesn't give her the right to say what she said. Stop justifying her behaviour and own it."
Another commented: "What an embarrassment. As if the [Gisborne District Council] GDC [doesn't] look bad enough already. Well, this tops it off."
A spokesperson for the Gisborne District Council said in a statement: "The person who recorded the video has had dealings with staff since 2020 where he has been obstructive, abusive and threatening to staff on several occasions.
"He was originally offered support with his circumstances, however, from a safety perspective staff have chosen minimal contact with him since."
They added the staff member was doing her job by monitoring the camping area.
"Council is responsible for upholding the Freedom Camping Act and the Gisborne District Freedom Camping Bylaw.
"We acknowledge this framework is not the appropriate mechanism for managing homelessness and in most instances, no infringements are issued. This gentleman has never been issued any infringements for freedom camping."
