The New Zealand capital is also in disarray, with anti-vaccine orders protesters to confront police outside Parliament, which has been going on for three days and a row of police who are clearing the parliamentary lawn from a protest camp. Police officers were punched and kicked amid calls for "this is not democracy," "shame on you," and "lift the injunction." The protest, which began Tuesday and aims to replicate Canadian truck drivers' "Freedom Convoy" campaign, drew demonstrators from across the country. At the same time, demonstrators in France, the United States and other places are also planning to take such demonstrations, and the "beautiful landscape" continues to spread.
1. The police couldn't bear it and began to arrest people
In New Zealand, the demonstrators camped in the courtyard of the Wellington legislature, vowing to wait until the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, with activists chanting slogans and chanting "hold our ground". Police came out early Thursday to warn the protest crowd of about 150 people with loudspeakers that they would face arrest unless they left. In the first two days of the protests, the police took a non-interventionist approach.
Ahead of this year's inaugural speech by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, protesters gathered outside the New Zealand Parliament building, known as the "hive" in Wellington, where hundreds of cars with the words "Give Us Back" were parked in the streets surrounding parliament.
Others drove around the city center, horns ringing non-stop, and more than 1,000 protesters walked to listen to speeches. Many of the vehicles that blocked the streets of central Wellington continued within 24 hours, but the atmosphere remained tense, with hundreds of activists staying behind and vowing to stay "whenever needed".
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the protesters to "look forward", adding that they did not represent the majority view of New Zealanders. "People have the right to protest, but when protests affect business activities, people's ability to move, children's ability to go to school or the ability to act in emergency services, it's clear that the police have to deal with those issues," she said. ”
2. Protesters called the atmosphere "intimidating"
New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said Wellington residents had lost patience with the devastation caused by the protests and called on police to take action. Before the police operation, he told Radio New Zealand that "roads in the city were blocked, businesses had to be closed and people were threatened and intimidated by some protesters." ”
Wellington Sheriff Parnell said more than 100 police officers had been transferred from outside the capital to disperse the protesters, while New Zealand authorities had rarely closed the council offices to prevent reinforcements from joining the protests. Police cordons slowly advanced on Congress Square, slowly clearing tents and camping equipment. Several people had been arrested this week, according to local media reports, and one protester said the atmosphere on Wednesday had become "intimidating." Auckland resident Searly Currie said: "We'll stay here and feel like the police are trying to incite violence, but we're not going to do that."
Earlier on Tuesday, in her first speech to parliament this year, Ardern said a variant of the Omiljung virus would not end the pandemic and that New Zealand would have to prepare for more variants of the virus this year. Previously, the Ardern government implemented the toughest epidemic restrictions in the past two years as the government tried to keep the coronavirus out of the country, policies that helped keep infection rates and mortality rates low. New Zealand is a country of 5 million people with 18,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 53 deaths to date.
But the restrictions have angered many people facing prolonged quarantine and have angered thousands of New Zealanders overseas who have lost contact with their families at home because of the border closure. These measures have also dealt a devastating blow to businesses that rely on international tourists.
3. Inspired by Canada, it is spreading in the Western world
The New Zealand "Convoy 2022" protest, which began on Sunday, was inspired by Canada's demand to end cross-border truck drivers being vaccinated against COVID-19. Since late January, the drivers have caused traffic jams in Canada's capital, Ottawa, and prompted city authorities to declare a state of emergency.
The protests began as a response to the country's vaccine mandate, but later expanded to broader opposition to restrictions on unvaccinated people. Although provincial governments control these measures, not the federal government. Protests in Canada often involve right-wing politics and the United States. And, Donald Trump's flag appeared at rallies that attracted a lot of interest on conservative websites.
In New Zealand, several Wellington protesters, flying Canadian flags, including an expatriate named Billy, who declined to give his last name, said, "I'm just supporting my brothers in Canada, fighting for freedom there." ”
Meanwhile, similar protests have taken place in Australia, where thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Canberra since last week to protest against covid-19 vaccines and restrictions. Earlier, another woman, accompanied by former government mp Craig Kelly, entered the Parliament Building and demanded that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison be sent to the "gallows". Similar protests have taken place in France, and truck drivers in the United States have said they plan to follow suit.