Winston Peters used a side entrance to evade a large group of protesters chanting "Shame on you" at Port Chalmers this morning.
The protesters, waving Palestinian flags and carrying placards accusing Foreign Affairs Minister Peters of being "complicit in genocide", had gathered at the main entrance to Port Otago.
When they spotted Peters inside the complex they chanted "Shame, shame, shame on you" and "Free free Palestine".
At the United Nations last week, Peters said New Zealand would not recognise Palestine statehood.
He was also greeted by protesters in May at the official reopening of Dunedin's Hillside Workshop and supporters of the New Zealanders detained by Israel gathered outside his Auckland home last night.
In his position as Rail minister Peters is in Dunedin with Regional Development Minister Shane Jones for the opening of Port Otago's new rail siding.
The 'railpad' is part of the Southern Link inland port proposal in North Taieri which was recently referred for fast-track approval.
Southern Link is a 50:50 joint venture between Port Otago’s Chalmers Property company and Dynes Transport Tapanui.
It has been presented as a logistics solution for the lower South Island’s containerised exporters and importer which would enable a shift from road to rail for freight to Port Otago.
In a statement Peters said the $13.5 million siding at Port Chalmers in Dunedin was crucial for the inland port being developed near Mosgiel as it would enable more efficient freight movement between the two sites.
“The Port Otago rail siding already supports 60 percent of all containers transported through the terminal, taking 43,000 truck trips off Dunedin’s roads last year with a further 19,000 to come when the inland port is in operation,” Peters said.
“Inland freight hubs provide vital additional space away from busy coastal ports.
"They can be seen in every major city in New Zealand but until now, Dunedin was the exception. That is finally changing.”
