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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.
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.
