Protests against COVID-19 measures grow in New Zealand as cases skyrocket

Protests against New Zealand government’s COVID-19 regulations in capital Wellington have entered a second week amid growing frustration among local residents.

Inspired by Canada’s so-called 'Freedom Convoy' anti-vaccine protests, protesters in Wellington parked cars, vans, and buses in a bid to occupy parliament grounds, despite warnings of heavy rain due to Cyclone Dovi, causing traffic delays and closed streets, reports said Monday.

Wellington district police commander Corrie Parnell said authorities were continuing to monitor and contain activity at parliament grounds.

“Police have identified a range of different causes and motivations among the protesters, making it difficult to open clear and meaningful lines of communication," he was quoted as saying.

Nearly 120 people were arrested when police officers tried to clear the area on Thursday, according to reports. Detainees face charges of willful trespassing and could face a sentence of up to three months in prison or a 1,000 New Zealand dollar ($662) fine.

New Zealand police attack 'unprecedented' protesters on parliament grounds

Police have clashed with protesters on the grounds of New Zealand

Wellington City Council, meanwhile, has issued more than 100 parking violations, but a spokesperson stressed that the amount of resources needed to do so and the effectiveness of the response was up for consideration.

“We’re realizing that tickets are having little impact. Roads around parliament remain blocked and buses have had to be diverted. We’re now concerned about the conditions at parliament – which are appalling and unhygienic,” said the spokesperson, as quoted in media.

“The impact on businesses in the vicinity is becoming desperate and there are lots and lots of complaints from Wellingtonians,” the official added. “There’s no doubt they’re wanting this to stop.”

A whopping 4,057 cases of coronavirus were confirmed across New Zealand only on Monday, February 14, in a country that and has so far reported just less than 20,000 cases and 53 deaths since the pandemic began, making it one of the least infected countries across the globe.

Speaking against government’s pandemic measures, one protester insisted he should be "able to choose what I put in my body."

"The government has total control and that’s grating for a lot of people. What’s worse is that they’re refusing to talk to us," he was quoted as saying. “I want the government to take accountability. People are really frustrated and angry. People want to be heard and they should be heard in a democratic society.”

Contrary to popular belief, the protest has been peaceful, he emphasized. "Police have made arrests but to what end? We’ve been standing our ground, not retaliating. Just look around you," he said.

Media reports cited a local observer as saying that no politicians have spoken to the protesters as the government is focused on preparations for the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

“People have the right to protest but when that tips into affecting business, people’s ability to move, the ability of kids to go to school or the ability of emergency services to move around obviously the police have to manage that,” she stressed.

“Obviously every New Zealander has a right to protest, but there are also rules around what is able to happen on parliament’s forecourt and of course we would expect that people have behaviors that don’t disrupt the ability of others to go on with their lives as well.”

Reports also cited some local residents speaking harshly against the protesters, with one of them describing them as “selfish, ignorant, stupid, and unworldly.”

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