People queue in Moray Place as they wait to get into the Dunedin Town Hall to hear Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speak yesterday. Photo: Gerard O'Brien

Security concerns saw hundreds of disappointed people turned away from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s leader’s address to the Labour Party conference in the Dunedin Town Hall yesterday.

Conference organisers expected Ms Ardern’s speech would draw a crowd, but few would have expected a queue which stretched from the town hall to well into George St.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo: RNZ

The final attendance was put at 1200, but it could have been much more, had the gods and balcony seats been made available.

 

The Otago Daily Times understands that organisers wanted to admit more people, but security concerns were behind the decision to exclude many of those who came.

A small but vocal group of anti-1080 poison activists protested outside the town hall before yesterday’s speech, and also shouted their messages at the Prime Minister as she was driven away from the venue.