New Zealand tightened security in its parliament after protests by thousands against Covid-19 vaccination mandates, and the government locking down.
The only entrance to Parliament Building, also known as Beehive, was closed on Tuesday in the presence high-ranking police officers and security personnel. Mostly unmasked protesters marched through Wellington and congregated at parliament.
Although the protest was peaceful, people could be seen carrying placards and signs with messages such as ‘Freedom’ or ‘Kiwis not laboratory rats’. They also shouted slogans and demanded that the government remove restrictions and compulsory vaccinations.
On Tuesday thousands of protestors gathered in Wellington, New Zealand to oppose the Covid-19 vaccination mandates and government lockdowns
Protesters marched peacefully through Wellington’s central business district and assembled outside the Parliament.
Protester: “I will not accept coercion or be forcibly forced to take what I do not want in my body,” he said.
“I ask (the government), to give us back 2018, It’s that simple. “I want my freedoms back.”
New Zealand’s struggle to combat an outbreak of the deadly Delta virus has forced Jacinda Adern from her previous strategy of elimination by lockdowns to live with the virus and receive higher vaccinations.
The Prime Minister said last month that teachers and people working in health or disability will be required to receive Covid-19 vaccinations.
This threshold is much higher than in many countries. It has drawn criticism from those calling for greater freedoms. The mandate, however, will present a barrier for people who want to return to work while still staying out of the purview.
New Zealand is still home to the fewest Covid-19 deaths and cases, with 32 reported as yet.
It has reported 125 cases of new infections on Tuesday. Nearly 80 percent of the population is eligible for double-dose vaccines.
A number of anti-vaxxers were seen performing a traditional haka during the Freedom and Rights Coalition protest
The protestor believed that forced vaccinations in New Zealand were modern-day fascism.
The Freedom and Rights Coalition protest was in Wellington, New Zealand. Police responded with force