A protest outside Jacinda Ardern’s Mt Albert electorate office in Morningside has grown heated, with shopkeepers and community members in the streets holding signs reading “enough is enough” and calling for harsher penalties for those who commit retail crime.

Many dairies across the country have shut their stores today for two hours in protest at rising burglaries and in solidarity after 34-year-old Janak Patel died on the job in an alleged aggravated robbery at the Rose Cottage Superette in Sandringham.

An hour into the demonstration, the crowd spilled off the footpath and into the streets, as police tried to clear the road.

At 2pm, Auckland Transport warned commuters to avoid the Morningside area and to expect delays.

Police are urging protesters to move on to allow the road to reopen to traffic.

“I know exactly what your frustration is and we don’t intend to use force to move people off, but we need to move people off the main road soon,” Greg Sowter senior sergeant said.

“We certainly support their right to protest.”

Among those gathered outside the office is Kalidas Patel, father of Janak.

Through tears, he said wanted the harshest penalty for the offender. He does not want “another Janak Patal”.

The crowd chanted “enough is enough, we need justice”.

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Wellington Indian Association president Dipak Bhana , centre, with dairy owners holding a minute's silence outside Grant Robertson's elecorate office in Wellington. 28 November, 2022. NZ Herald photograph by Mark Mitchell

Act leader David Seymour joined those protesting outside the Prime Minister’s electorate office.

All dairies in the Grey Lynn shop centre have closed their doors in solidarity.

Raj and Dharmesh Patel closes the Sumit Dairy on Great North Road, Grey, Lynn, Auckland as dairies around New Zealand stage a protest agaisnt rising violence and the death of the Rose Cottage worker Janak Patel. Photo / Dean Purcell

In Wellington, a minute’s silence was held outside Grant Robertson’s electorate office, before the crowd started chanting “enough is enough” and “we want justice”.

In Whangārei, around 60 people gathered in protest outside a Labour electorate office. The protest began at the office of Whangārei MP Emily Henderson and Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis began around 1pm.

The group is made up of dairy owners, workers and members of the local community who are upset after the killing of dairy worker Patel.

Ralph Correa of the Northland Indian Association said protesters were standing in solidarity with the man who was killed and wanted to protest a lack of action on crime.

”We want a safer community and we want people held to justice,” he said.

”There’s a lot of talk and [the Government] saying there’s minimal crime when it’s just the opposite.”

Dairy owners feared going to work, Correa said.

”Every one of them feels that it’s dangerous to even try to earn a living.”

Protesters outside the offices in Whangārei. Photo / Angela Woods

Onerahi Dairy owner Dipesh Patel said running a dairy - or any retail business - had been dangerous for years.

”Every day there’s a threat, there’s no law and order. I can rob you and nothing will happen.”

Patel said he believed people were robbing dairies for enjoyment, rather than for money.

”This Government, I think, is too polite,” he said.

Shopkeepers protest outside Jacinda Arderns electorate office in responswe to the death of Janak Patel. Photo / Joey Dwyer

A 34-year-old man was arrested on Friday and charged with aggravated robbery and murder following Patel’s death.

A second man, 42, was also arrested and has been charged with robbery. Both men were remanded in custody on Saturday.

A third person has also been charged with robbery. The 36-year-old man is due to appear in the Auckland District Court today.

Govt ‘doesn’t want to change the law’

While some dairy owners approached by the Northern Advocate declined to speak, they had notices announcing the nationwide vigil clearly displayed outside their stores.

Destination Dairy owner Jayesh Patel has hit out at the Government's lack of action. Photo / Jaime Lyth

Destination Dairy owner Jayesh Patel, based in Whangārei, was among the shops closing their doors at 12.30pm for the two hour vigil today.

Patel spoke out at what he said was the Government’s lack of action around protecting dairy owners and their staff.

“They don’t want to change the law,” he said.

Cabinet was today meeting to discuss ways in which violent crimes against dairies could be countered.

“We had to put the bollards [up] so no one can ram raid [us] with a car. But now they’ve started to murder,” Patel said.

‘We’re upset and gutted’ - Dairy owners want action

Springfield Superette owner Raj Kumar was one of at least four dairy owners in Rotorua who would be taking part in today’s nationwide vigil.

“We are upset and gutted. Everybody has knots in their stomachs.”

Kumar said while the closures were not imposed on anyone, he felt it was important to make a stand and show dairy owners wanted action.

“Some of us were up in Auckland last week and we went to the vigil to pay our respects,” Kumar said.

“When you lose somebody like Janak Patel you feel for him and his family. He was a young person protecting his home. It was his right.”

Rotorua Councillor Raj Kumar, who owns Springfield Superette. Photo / NZME

More than $65,000 raised for grieving family

A Givealittle page has been set up for Patel’s family and has raised more than $65,000 following the “senseless killing.”

“This senseless, needless act of violence has destroyed a life full of promise. It has robbed our community of someone trying to make a positive contribution from behind the counter,” the page read.

Patel, who recently married, confronted a thief who stole a cash register from the store. He was fatally stabbed outside and, while he managed to make it back to the dairy, he died from his injuries.

The death sparked an outpouring of grief and anger in the community.

Last week a memorial of flowers and tributes were laid outside the Rose Cottage Superette and many gathered to pay their respects at a candlelit vigil.

A service was held for Patel yesterday at Anns Funeral Home in Wiri.

The 34-year-old’s wife, parents, sisters and other family were among the mourners, as was Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who hugged Patel’s widow Vijeta during the event.

Ardern said she attended the funeral because she had received an invitation and it was in her community.

She said as the local MP she wanted to do right by the family.

“Sitting amongst his family and friends.. brings back the fact that a life has been taken and family’s lives have been shattered.”

Janak Patel was fatally stabbed after a robbery of the Rose Cottage. Photo / Supplied

MPs and former politicians - including Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Mark Mitchell, Michael Wood and Kawaljit Singh Bakshi – attended the service, as did Detective Inspector Scott Beard who is leading the investigation into Patel’s death.

Patel, those gathered were told, was born in the Indian city of Navsari and “had a great love for his country and culture”, enjoying the Garba form of dance which originates from his home state of Gujarat.

The master of ceremonies at the service, Mitesh Dhanji, said Patel and his wife had a “dream to run their own business”.

They had only relocated from Hamilton to Auckland last week to run the Sandringham dairy while its owners were overseas.

Patel migrated to the United Kingdom for 10 years after finishing his education. Like many, Janak and Vijeta were separated by Covid-19 border closures and he was only able to join his wife in New Zealand in April of this year.