US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gets flipped off in New Zealand for quitting Paris climate deal

Wellington: Visiting US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, was in for a surprise when plenty of middle fingers was flipped at the American motorcade for quitting the Paris climate deal.

"I've been in motorcades for a couple of years now... I've never seen so many people flip the bird at an American motorcade as I saw today," according to New York Times correspondent Gardiner Harris.

Tillerson landed in Wellington as an add-on to his recent trip to Australia.

He is the first senior member of the Trump administration to visit the country. 

About 200 protesters with the climate change action group 350 Aotearoa gathered outside Parliament on his arrival, as per The Guardian. 

Greenpeace New Zealand referred to Tillerson as Trump’s 'henchman'.

Tillerson later allayed local fears about US becoming more isolationist and about US President Donald Trump being 'unpredictable', as per New Zealand Herald.

New Zealand remains committed to the Paris agreement and its target to cut emissions by 11% of 1990 levels by 2030.

US media travelling with Sec of State Rex Tillerson surprised by the number of people flipping the bird at his motorcade in Wellington. — Tracy Watkins (@tracy_watkins) June 6, 2017

SecState Tillerson's motorcade arriving New Zealand greeted by people signaling thumbs down & display of middle fingers for quitting Paris — Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) June 6, 2017

Just saw a stuff notification about tillerson's motorcade and imagining people in Wellington lining the streets looking like this. pic.twitter.com/XcDq6FIkZG — Tony Kuriger (@TMKuriger) June 6, 2017

An impressive turn-out in the rain for the #ActOnClimate rally to welcome US Secretary of State Rex "Exxon" Tillerson to NZ Parliament pic.twitter.com/7XOabJ76zL — Nathan Ross (@NathanJonRoss) June 6, 2017

Great view of @GreenpeaceNZ's climate action ahead of Rex Tillerson's meeting with PM Bill English today. pic.twitter.com/CWcB9CKm65 — Green Party NZ (@NZGreens) June 5, 2017