The 2022 Wellington protest was an anti-vaccine, anti-mandate occupation of the grounds of
Parliament House and
Molesworth Street in
Central Wellington during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. It began in February 2022 and lasted just over three weeks. The protestors were a mixed group, but the majority were opposed to the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
mask
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...
and
vaccine mandates in New Zealand, claiming they were fighting for the freedom of all New Zealanders. The numbers were swelled by violent online chatter on social media sites, including a Trump-aligned alternative media outlet, which lead the event to be hijacked by groups with more extremist right wing views. The protests were inspired by the
Canadian convoy protests in
Ottawa, which began the month before. Additional protests in support of the occupation of Parliament took place in
Porirua,
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
,
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
,
Picton and
Wanaka.
Until it was forcibly ended on 2 March 2022, the Wellington protests spread over a large area of
Thorndon and into
Pipitea with approximately 1,000 participants. Protestors blockaded areas around the parliamentary grounds with their vehicles and occupied the lawn and surrounding areas in tents. Due to their large numbers, the protestors also camped on private property, such as the driveways and gardens of homes nearby. They harassed bystanders, including children walking to and from school and disrupted local businesses.
Despite the disruption to Wellingtonians, the police initially took a 'light-handed' approach to protestors.
Otago University
, image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg
, image_size =
, caption = University clock tower
, motto = la, Sapere aude
, mottoeng = Dare to be wise
, established = 1869; 152 years ago
, type = Public research collegiate u ...
law professor Andrew Geddis suggested the police did not want to escalate the situation. As health and safety issues became an issue, police began to take action. Towards the end, some protestors turned violent and injured 40 police officers, putting eight of them in hospital.
However, they failed to secure the removal of vaccine mandates or achieve any other demands. Once police removed the protestors, the parliamentary grounds were covered in rubbish, including destroyed tents, hay,
and human excrement.
They also committed
arson while being forcibly evicted, causing damage estimated in the millions.
The protests came during the most widespread outbreak of
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
in New Zealand
since the pandemic began, with up to 23,180 daily recorded community cases of the
Omicron
Omicron (; uppercase Ο, lowercase ο, ell, όμικρον) is the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet. This letter is derived from the Phoenician letter ayin: . In classical Greek, omicron represented the close-mid back rounded vowel in contras ...
variant by the end of the three week protest.
Background
Vaccination became mandatory for all health and disability workers and certain roles in the education sector on the 15 November 2021. New Zealand made the
My Vaccine Pass
My Vaccine Pass is a vaccine certificate issued by the New Zealand Government that serves as an official record of one's COVID-19 vaccination status. The vaccine pass is required to enter hospitality venues, community, sport and faith-based ga ...
available to all eligible New Zealanders on 17 November and required all staff at close contact venues (gyms and hospitality) to be vaccinated by the 17 January.
New Zealand has been praised for it success at controlling the spread of Covid, with its approach being regarded as the most successful in the world. Globally the country has high vaccination rates and one of the lowest per capita death rates. Most of the population have received the control measures well, with lockdowns and border closures often polling at more than 80% and their trust in scientists becoming the highest in the world.
The New Zealand protest was influenced by the
Canada convoy protest that began on 22 January, when hundreds of vehicles blocked bridges between the United States and
Ottawa. Other nations were also influenced by the Canadian protest, holding their own rallies. The New Zealand protesters were mainly protesting against
vaccine mandates
A vaccination policy is a health policy adopted in order to prevent the spread of infectious disease. These policies are generally put into place by State or local governments, but may also be set by private facilities, such as workplaces or s ...
,
mask mandates and
government lockdowns aimed at controlling the
COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
The COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand is part of COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case of the disease in New Zealand was reported ...
. It expanded to include a variety of
anti-establishment
An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958, by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...
goals characterised by mistrust of authorities, Government, media and police.
Participants and agenda
In early February, about 100 people camped overnight at Parliament the first night and over the ensuing weeks, numbers peaked at about 3000. The protest was inspired by the truck convoy which blocked bridges in Ottawa Canada and several Wellington protesters carried Canadian flags in support. The Wellington protesters were a very diverse group consisting of "young, middle-aged and old,
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
,
Pākehā
Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non- Māori New Z ...
(European New Zealanders), Asians, hippies, gang members, church groups, stoners, naked and clothed." At the start, convoy organisers had a fairly specific message: they wanted an end to vaccine mandates, repeal of Covid-19-related legislation and for anti-vaccination doctors suspended by the Medical Council to be reinstated. However, the convoy was soon hijacked by the far-right fringe, some of whom advocated violence and threats against Parliamentary and government figures.
On 21 February,
David Farrar's Curia Market Research published the results of a poll surveying 312 protesters in Wellington between 19 and 20 February. In terms of origins, 41% of protesters came from provincial cities; 18.9% from towns, 7.7% from rural areas; 17% from Auckland; 8.7% from Wellington; and 6.7% in Christchurch. 55% of the protesters identified as female while 45% identified as male. In terms of ethnicity, 64.4% percent of protesters identified as
Europeans; 27.2% as
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
; 4.2% as Asians, and 2.6% as
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
s. In terms of voting patterns during the
2020 New Zealand general election
The 2020 New Zealand general election was held on Saturday 17 October 2020 to determine the composition of the 53rd parliament. Voters elected 120 members to the House of Representatives, 72 from single-member electorates and 48 from closed ...
, 29.8% of the protesters had voted for
Labour; 15.9% for the
Greens; 15.9% for
National
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
, 11.9% for
ACT, 8.7% for the
New Conservatives, 7.5% for
Advance New Zealand; and 3.6% for the
Māori Party
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
. The survey found that 76.9% of protesters were unvaccinated; 4.8% had received one shot; 13.8% had received a double shot; and that 2.9% had been triple boosted. The survey also found that most protesters were motivated by opposition to mandates, support for freedom of choice, concerns about children being vaccinated, and the loss of jobs.
There was no clear leadership within the protest group, with several groups and activists involved in organising the protest including anti-vaccination groups "Voices for Freedom" and New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out on Science (NZDSOS), conspiracy theorist Brett Power, far right media outlet
Counterspin Media
''Counterspin Media'' is a far-right, anti-vaccine, and conspiracy theorist New Zealand online media platform that was founded in May 2021.
''Counterspin Media'' has opposed the New Zealand Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic includi ...
, Bishop
Brian Tamaki
Brian Raymond Tamaki (born 2 February 1958), is a New Zealand fundamentalist Christian religious leader and far-right political activist. A Tainui man from the Ngati Ngawaero and Ngati Maniapoto tribes, he is the leader of Destiny Church, a ...
's "The Freedom and Rights Coalition" (TFRC), far right activist
Kelvyn Alp
Kelvyn Glen Alp (born 27 March 1971) is a New Zealand far-right politician and activist. During the 1990s, Alp established a paramilitary organisation called the New Zealand Armed Intervention Force. During the 2020s, Alp founded a far-right med ...
, anti-vaccination activist Chantelle Baker, the right-wing
New Conservative Party New Conservative Party (or similar names) may refer to:
* New Conservative Party (UK), 1960–1962
* New Conservative Group, Australia, 1991–1992
* New Conservative Party (Japan), 2000–2003
* New Zealand Conservative Party, 1996-c.1998
* New C ...
, and the
neo-Nazi organisation
Action Zealandia
Action Zealandia is a White nationalist and neo-Nazi group in New Zealand that emerged following the Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019 as the successor to an earlier group called the Dominion Movement. According to Newshub, Action Zealandia ...
.
There were muddled messages with some protesters spreading
vaccine misinformation,
conspiracy theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
, claiming media corruption, voicing
Trump
Trump most commonly refers to:
* Donald Trump (born 1946), 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)
* Trump (card games), any playing card given an ad-hoc high rank
Trump may also refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Donald J. T ...
slogans and making death threats.
Antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
was reported to be "rife" within the protests,
with the Parliamentary grounds vandalised with
swastikas
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
, protestors
misappropriating yellow stars, and messages targeting
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
written on car windows.
On 14 February, Groups within the protest, including Convoy 2022 NZ, Freedom Alliance, New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out with Science, Outdoors & Freedom Movement, The Freedom and Rights Coalition, The Hood NZ and Voices for Freedom, issued a letter demanding an urgent meeting with Government ministers and the immediate removal of vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 response rules.
The groups claimed that they were not just about anti-vaccination but more opposed to the Government's vaccine mandate.
Timeline
First week
On 6 February, Waitangi day, two convoys of vehicles travelled from
Cape Reinga
, type =Cape
, photo = Cape Reinga, Northland, New Zealand, October 2007.jpg
, photo_width = 270px
, photo_alt =
, photo_caption =
, map = New Zealand
, map_width = 270px
...
in the North Island and
Bluff
Bluff or The Bluff may refer to:
Places Australia
* Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town
* The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich
* The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality
* Bluff River (New ...
in the South Island to Wellington, departing at 6:30 am. The South Island convoy was led by Derek Broomhall. Opponents sought to disrupt the convoys' journeys by spreading disinformation about travel itineraries on the Convoy's
Telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
and
Zello channels. In addition, opponents also hacked into the Convoy's
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
playlist and added songs deemed objectionable by the organisers, including Rebel Son's "Redneck Piece of White Trash,"
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guit ...
's "
Why Don't You Get A Job?
"Why Don't You Get a Job?" is a song by American rock band the Offspring. The song is the 11th track on the Offspring's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its second single on March 15, 1999. The song also appears as t ...
," , and
Peaches
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...
' "Dumb F**k."
The presence of motorbikes, trucks, and cars created major traffic jams and disruption in the Wellington Central Business District. In response, Prime Minister Ardern and the
Leader of the Opposition,
Christopher Luxon
Christopher Mark Luxon (born 19 July 1970) is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who is currently serving as leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition. He has been the Member of Parliament (M ...
, stated that they would not meet with the convoy participants.
Despite convoy vehicles illegally blocking roads and occupying pedestrian areas, the
Wellington City Council
Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the country's capital city Wellington, and ''de facto'' second-largest city (if the commonly considered parts of Wellington, the Upper Hutt, Porirua, Lower Hutt and ...
declined to issue infringement notices due to concerns over staff safety.
Protesters erected tents and marquees on Parliament grounds, with at least 100 people camping overnight.
The next day protesters attempted to push through a fence outside Parliament but were stopped by Police, who formed a ring around the entrance to the Parliament Buildings. Three men were arrested and issued with trespass notices. One of those arrested was the conspiracy theorist Brett Powers, who unsuccessfully attempted to arrest
Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare and other social security services.
Some governments have separate ministers for mental health.
Coun ...
Andrew Little for alleged culpability in vaccine deaths.
Police also issued orders for protesters to remove their tents and marquees from Parliament grounds. The attempt to breach the police line outside Parliament may have sparked tensions between the original organisers (who advocated calm) and Counterspin (who pushed for the storming of Parliament).
Police attempted to forcibly remove the protesters from Parliament grounds on the 10th February. One hundred an twenty two protesters were arrested on charges of trespass and obstruction.
About 27 protesters were held in custody overnight after refusing to sign their bail bonds. Following the failed attempt, 900 police officers in Wellington and 150 reinforcements were brought in from across the country. Protesters parked their vehicles the streets around Parliament, leading to the closure of several businesses and the
National Library of New Zealand. The Police began working with
Wellington City Council
Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the country's capital city Wellington, and ''de facto'' second-largest city (if the commonly considered parts of Wellington, the Upper Hutt, Porirua, Lower Hutt and ...
parking wardens to issue infringement notices to the protesters' illegally parked vehicles and to prevent food trucks bringing food to the protesters.
On 11 February, Parliament's garden sprinklers were turned on under orders by Trevor Mallard in a bid to deter protesters from Parliament and convince them to leave. Protesters then started to dig channels to direct water to nearby drains, causing the lawns to turn boggy and muddy. Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said Molesworth Street remains blocked by over 100 vehicles, including large trucks, campervans and cars. No further arrests had been made that day. Mallard also had speakers set up to play
Barry Manilow songs, the "
Macarena
"Macarena" is a dance song by Spanish pop duo Los del Río, about a woman of the same name. The song uses a type of clave rhythm. Originally appearing on the 1993 album '' A mí me gusta'', a subsequent remix by Miami-based producers The Bays ...
", "
Baby Shark
"Baby Shark" is a children's song associated to a dance involving hand movements that originated as a campfire song dating back to at least the 20th century. In 2016, "Baby Shark" became very popular when Pinkfong, a South Korean entertainment ...
," "
My Heart Will Go On
"My Heart Will Go On" is a 1997 song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion. The song serves as the main theme to James Cameron's blockbuster film '' Titanic'', based on an account of the transatlantic ocean liner of the same name which san ...
," "
Let It Go
"Let It Go" is a song from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney's 2013 computer-animated feature film ''Frozen (2013 film), Frozen'', whose music and lyrics were composed by husband-and-wife songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert L ...
,"
James Blunt
James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...
's "
You're Beautiful
"You're Beautiful" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Blunt. It was written by Blunt, Sacha Skarbek and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album, ''Back to Bedlam'' (2004). It was released as the third single of the album in 2005.
In th ...
," and pro vaccination messages. Mallard was criticised by both the National and ACT parties for escalating the tension.
Convoy protesters remained at their makeshift camp despite heavy rain caused by the approaching
Cyclone Dovi The name Dovi has been used for three tropical cyclones in the South Pacific Ocean.
* Cyclone Dovi (1988) – a Category 2 tropical cyclone that passed near Vanuatu.
* Cyclone Dovi (2003) – a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone that affe ...
. Police maintained a presence near the camp while around 100 vehicles including large trucks, campervans and cars continued to occupy Molesworth Street. In addition, bales of hay were brought to mop up the water caused by the sprinklers.
The camp maintained a festival-like atmosphere with chanting interspersed with music. In response,
Ngāti Toa
Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Toarangatira or Ngāti Toa Rangatira, is a Māori '' iwi'' (tribe) based in the southern North Island and in the northern South Island of New Zealand. Its '' rohe'' (tribal area) extends from Whanganui in the north, Palmerston ...
condemned the use of their haka ''
Ka Mate
"Ka Mate" () is a Māori haka composed by Te Rauparaha, war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe of the North Island of New Zealand.
Composition
Te Rauparaha composed "Ka Mate" circa 1820 as a celebration of life over death after his lucky escape fro ...
'' at the protest. Police also evacuated a protester who experienced a medical emergency. Due to disruptions caused by the protest,
Metlink removed all bus services from the Lambton Interchange and placed additional detours in place.
After the cyclone passed police attempted to unblock roads around Parliament but were unable to communicate with organisers. To reassure the public, Police stepped up patrols around Molesworth street and other streets around the protest as well as the train station. Parnell also confirmed that the Police were entering into discussions with the
New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF; mi, Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, "Line of Defence of New Zealand") are the armed forces of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and her realm, prom ...
to unblock roads. There were reports of protesters who had been arrested earlier but had bail conditions to not return to the campsite flouting court orders. According to Police, there were between 400 and 500 people remaining in tents, after reaching a peak of 3,000 people. Parnell confirmed that Police were also working to restore the protest to a "lawful protest" by engaging with key leaders and moving vehicles to a staging area in order to reopen Wellington's streets.
Second week
Heading into the second week,
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said that Police would give protesters the opportunity to voluntarily remove their vehicles but warned that time was "running out." The Police entered into discussions with towing companies and the
New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF; mi, Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, "Line of Defence of New Zealand") are the armed forces of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and her realm, prom ...
to remove the illegally parked vehicles.
Police and the
Wellington City Council
Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in New Zealand, governing the country's capital city Wellington, and ''de facto'' second-largest city (if the commonly considered parts of Wellington, the Upper Hutt, Porirua, Lower Hutt and ...
offered protesters free parking at the nearby
Sky Stadium, to try and clear roads of vehicles. Many protesters were suspicious of the offer, concerned that their vehicles would end up getting impounded if they did so.
The next day only 40 vehicles had taken up the offer of free parking at Sky Stadium. The Defence Force was in discussions with the Police over the type of assistance it could provide in removing vehicles. By 15 February, 200 parking tickets had been issued but only one had been paid.
The opposition National Party lodged a notice of a
motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence, also variously called a vote of no confidence, no-confidence motion, motion of confidence, or vote of confidence, is a statement or vote about whether a person in a position of responsibility like in government or m ...
in Speaker Mallard over his handling of the Convoy 2022 protesters on the 17th with National's COVID-19 spokesperson
Chris Bishop
Christopher Bishop (born 4 September 1983) is a New Zealand National Party politician who was first elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2014 as a list MP. Bishop won the Hutt South electorate in 2017 but lost the seat in 20 ...
criticising Mallard's decision to turn on the Parliamentary garden sprinklers and to subject the protesters to Barry Manilow music. The Wellington City Council confirmed that they had issued a total of 335 tickets to illegally parked vehicles in the Wellington CBD. Coster also announced that tow trucks would begin removing vehicles today and confirmed that Police had appealed to the New Zealand Defence Force to assist with towing operations.
Coster later ruled out "enforcement action" against protesters due to concerns that Police action would lead to violence. Police also abandoned the ultimatum for protesters to remove their vehicles with Coster stating that the Police would focus on "negotiation and de-escalation" for resolving the protest. The decision to rule out "enforcement action" was criticised by the
National Party's police spokesman
Mark Mitchell, who stated that Coster had lost credibility as Police Commissioner.
The number of protesters and tents at Parliament grew substantially over the second weekend, which provoked resentment from Wellington residents. One of the protest leaders requested former police and Defence Force personnel to provide security at the site. In response to perceived Police inaction, Wellington mayoral candidate Tory Whanau proposed a "middle ground option" for Police to enforce a perimeter around the protest to prevent it from spreading further into Thorndon and the CBD. Mayor
Andy Foster
Andrew John Whitfield Foster (born 21 December 1961) is a New Zealand politician who served as Mayor of Wellington from 2019 to 2022. Foster served on the Wellington City Council for nine terms from 1992 until 2019.
Biography Early life
Foste ...
subsequently confirmed that he was in talks with staff and the Police on addressing the protesters' occupation of the Parliament grounds.
Police began clearing up roads near Parliament on the 19th while contending with the illegally parked vehicles in the area. On 20 February, protest groups issued a joint statement expressing outrage at the arrests conducted the previous week and demanding that all charges be dropped. That same day, the Police issued a statement that they would be boosting the policing of abusive protest behaviour, traffic management, road traffic controls, and street patrols to reassure local businesses and the public.
Third week
On the morning on 21 February, Police began installing concrete barriers at eight locations around Parliament to reinforce the perimeter of the occupation. These barriers were designed to prevent more vehicles from joining the protests while allowing access for residents, businesses and emergency vehicles. 300 police officers were involved in this operation. Protesters responded by heckling and assaulting officers, with some officers being pelted with human feces. Police arrested seven protesters and also stepped up patrols in the CBD area.
Protest leaders objected to the installation of the concrete barriers and claimed that it undermined efforts to build positive relations between police and protesters. Mayor Foster defended the barriers, arguing that they minimised the protest's disruption to Wellington.
In response to rising community cases nationwide,
Wellington Hospital's chief medical officer Dr John Tait advised protesters showing COVID-19 symptoms to return home or seek their community health providers.
Violence escalated on the 22 February, with a car was driven at police by a protestor and three officers sprayed with a mysterious substance by protestors.
Foster and
Paul Hunt (Chief Commissioner of the
Human Rights Commission
A human rights commission, also known as a human relations commission, is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.
The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as nationa ...
) met with protesters with the intention of using dialogue to resolve the protests and prevent further escalation of violence. Police and protesters continued to clash the next day after protesters removed at least one concrete bollard near the occupation site to let vehicles in. Protesters claimed that about 30 vehicles managed to return to the protest site from Sky Stadium. Earlier, Police had warned that their offer of free parking for the protesters' vehicles would expire at the end of the day.
By 25 February, Police confirmed that a total of 132 arrests had been made at Parliament. According to Police, the number of vehicles at the Wellington protest site had dropped from 800 to 300 vehicles. Police also estimated that at least 30 children remain at the Wellington protest camp and confirmed they were working with
Oranga Tamariki
Oranga Tamariki, also known as the Ministry for Children and previously the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, is a government department in New Zealand responsible for the well-being of children, specifically children at risk of harm, youth offen ...
to ensure that children were at the forefront of their "planning and response decisions." That same day, 18 people sailed across the
Cook Strait
Cook Strait ( mi, Te Moana-o-Raukawa) separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The strait connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean on the southeast. It is wide at its narrowest point,McLintock, A ...
from
Picton to participate in the Wellington protest. The Wellington protest camp was identified by the
Ministry of Health as a "location of interest," potentially affecting hundreds who visited the site over the weekend. The Ministry of Health confirmed that hospitals across the country were reporting visits from people who had attended the Wellington anti-mandate protest before returning home. The Ministry described the Wellington protest as a potential
superspreader event.
There were also several reports of
sexual assault from within the protest grounds.
Fourth week
![Ambulances Tinakori Road](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Ambulances_Tinakori_Road.jpg)
The mood of the protest had changed over the last week, with the more peaceful protesters being outnumbered by the more violent ones.
On 2 March, police began the process of reclaiming the parliament grounds. They were able to regain control of a significant portion of parliamentary land after towing most of the illegally parked vehicles and launching an operation that led to the arrests of 38 protestors. Numerous protestors were sighted wielding pitchforks and plywood shields. Large fires also erupted on Parliamentary grounds. At least thirty of the protestors' vehicles were towed due to being illegally parked. The fires, set by protestors, resulted in the childrens' play area catching fire. By 4:38 pm, police had fully regained control of the parliament grounds, with the exception of a small area outside the front gate. During confrontations with the police, protestors smashed the glass doors to Victoria University of Wellington's Pipitea Campus (which is opposite parliament and was already occupied by protestors) and set fire to a bin on campus grounds.
By 6:29 pm, Parliament grounds had been cleared and 65 arrests had been made, with protestors engaging in what was considered a "final standoff" with police at the bus terminal on Lambton Quay. In response to the rioting near Parliament,
Metlink closed the
Wellington railway station
Wellington railway station, or Wellington Central station, is the main railway station serving Wellington, New Zealand, and is the southern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk, Wairarapa Line and Johnsonville Line.
The station opened i ...
and suspended all rail services. Police also advised people to avoid the central business district area near the Railway Station, Victoria University of Wellington's Pipitea campus, and the northern end of Lambton Quay.
According to Police Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers, Police arrested 89 people in relation to the riot on 2 March. On 3 March, 11 more people were arrested on various charges including arson, grievous bodily harm, inciting violence, theft, assault, trespass and obstruction.
Protest site
The protestors set up a makeshift camp inside the parliaments grounds with the entire area covered in tents and gazebos.
There was a first aid tent, a place to get free hair cuts, free clothing tent, tents for charging phones, and they organised their own security personal.
A protestor drew a
swastika on a statue of Premier
Richard John Seddon, while the
Wellington Cenotaph
The Wellington Cenotaph, also known as the Wellington Citizens' War Memorial, is a war memorial located on the intersection of Lambton Quay and Bowen Street in Wellington, New Zealand. It commemorates the war dead of the two world wars. The ceno ...
was also defaced with
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
and a shower was set up against its side. After a veterans personnel charity describing it as "a slap in the face" the shower was dismantled and graffiti removed.
Portable showers and toilets were constructed and illegally hooked up directly into the Wellington's wastewater system. This prompted officials to warning against swimming along Wellington's central waterfront due to raw sewage from the protest site entering stormwater drains that drain into the harbour.
There have been major concerns about sanitation issues at the camp due to the makeshift portaloos and human faeces present on the ground, especially given the presence of young children playing in the unhygienic conditions. Health experts expected high levels of respiratory and gastric diseases to run through the protestors, with immunologist Joanna Kirman saying that "These are individuals that aren't taking precautions. You are taking quite high-risk people and putting them together." Police officers have described the stench as excruciating, saying the "heat, mixed with excrement, body odour, and the lack of hygiene is really sickening to be around".
Misinformation
The protestors made various claims largely based on misinformation and conspiracy theories, including the belief that natural immunity was more effective than vaccines.
Many compared vaccinations to medical experimentation Nazi doctors performed in concentration camps during WWII, even fabricating their own evidence.
Some believed New Zealand’s political parties are involved in a plot to reduce the population using vaccines, describing vaccines as "a depopulation agenda". Others believe "Covid-19 was released deliberately, as part of a 'plandemic' to enable millionaires, pharmaceutical companies, and world leaders to control the global population."
Most protesters seemed to believe that
mainstream media is untrustworthy, putting their faith in
alternative news outlets that broadcast through
social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...
feeds. There were chants of “tell the truth”, “media lies” and allegations that journalists covering the protest were paid government operatives. On Counterspin, far-right politician
Kelvyn Alp
Kelvyn Glen Alp (born 27 March 1971) is a New Zealand far-right politician and activist. During the 1990s, Alp established a paramilitary organisation called the New Zealand Armed Intervention Force. During the 2020s, Alp founded a far-right med ...
called for journalists, politicians, academics and police to be put on trial for crimes against humanity. In frequent monologues on Counterspin, Alp regularly states his erroneous beliefs that the Covid-19 virus does not exist, and that vaccinations against Covid-19 are an attempted genocide.
The more bizarre conspiracy theories promoted by some protestors were that “EMF machines”, “radiation machines” and “technological weapons” were being used to by the government make them sick, despite the spread of COVID-19 among the protestors. Videos were posted on social media asking for donations of tinfoil so they could be used for protection against such attacks.
Violence
The protest methods ranged from peaceful to increasingly violent.
Signs and symbols inciting violence were common at the protest, but even more rife and obscene online.
In a poll conducted internally on the protesters
Telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
group 94% said all members of parliament and media should be charged with "crimes against humanity" and half voted for an uprising.
There have been multiple threats by protestors to
lynch politicians, such as Jacinda Ardern,
Grant Robertson
Grant Murray Robertson (born 30 October 1971) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party who has served as the 19th deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2020 and the minister of Finance since 2017. He has served as Member ...
and pregnant MP
Steph Lewis, through direct threats or by hanging nooses from trees on the grounds.
Some protesters behaved aggressively towards police, members of the public, media, businesses, and school students including individuals wearing masks.
Due to the aggressive conduct of the protesters, the Parliamentary Service,
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand.
The university is well kno ...
, the
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
,
Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry.
Lists of current ministries of justice
Named "Ministry"
* Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia)
* Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan)
* Ministry of Just ...
, the
Department of Internal Affairs
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), or in te reo Māori, is the public service department of New Zealand charged with issuing passports; administering applications for citizenship and lottery grants; enforcing censorship and gambling la ...
, and the
Ministry of Health advised their personnel to avoid the area entirely. A 17-year-old girl was assaulted for wearing a mask
by having eggs thrown at her. Queen Margaret College advised students and staff to take alternative routes to school after protesters had remonstrated and abused masked wearing children during the week.
Kate Sheppard Apartments body corporate chairman complained that the presence of the protesters was making it difficult for local residents within the vicinity of the protest camp saying that several residents had moved out due to intimidation from the protesters and noise.
Antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
was reported to be "rife" within the protests,
with the Parliamentary grounds vandalised with
swastikas
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...
, protestors
misappropriating yellow stars, and messages targeting
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
written on car windows.
There were also several reports of
sexual assault from within the protest grounds and fights breaking out between intoxicated campers.
There are videos of protestors skirmishing with and attacking police, and also several instances of some of them harassing and physically assaulting schoolchildren for wearing masks.
Clashes with the police have become increasingly violent. During the first wave of arrests two police injured and a naked female protester was dragged out of the protest by her hair. Protesters responded to the erection of barricades by heckling and assaulting officers, with some officers being pelted with human feces. On the morning of 22 February, a car was driven at police by a protestor and three officers were sprayed with a mysterious substance by protestors, requiring immediate medical attention.
Parademics had to treat several police officers who were spat upon by demonstrators.
The violence culminated into a full
riot on the 2nd March when police moved in to shut down the protest.
Protestors armed themselves with pitchforks, fire extinguishers and other homemade weapons.
Pavers and other objects were ripped up and thrown at police.
During the riot eighty seven people were arrested and around 40 police injured.
As they lost ground protesters set fire to tents and a
playground, while also attempting to burn down the Old Government Buildings.
Protestors threw gas bottles, mattresses, rubbish bins and any other flammable items they could find to keep the fires blazing. Despite being urged police to take their children home, some protestors were documented using them as shields against the police approach.
By the end the build-up of rubbish, destroyed tents, hay,
human excrement
and the after effects of the
arson caused millions in damage to the grounds.
Responses
Many Wellington residents gave the area a 'wide berth'. Some people had their masks ripped off their face by protesters. Local businesses reported the lunchtime rush disappeared entirely forcing some to shut down for the duration of the protest. Two schools, St Mary's College in Guildford Tce and Wellington Girls College in Pipitea St, closed down because of safety concerns for their staff and pupils. Local
Iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...
in Wellington including
Ngāti Toa
Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Toarangatira or Ngāti Toa Rangatira, is a Māori '' iwi'' (tribe) based in the southern North Island and in the northern South Island of New Zealand. Its '' rohe'' (tribal area) extends from Whanganui in the north, Palmerston ...
also stated their opposition to the protest, in particular to the aggressive behaviour by some protesters. They wanted a "political solution" to end the situation.
On 18 February, 19 community leaders in Wellington issued a joint letter calling for the end of the Wellington Convoy protests. They complained about the harassment and intimidation of local residents, city workers, students, the disruption of traffic and local businesses and institutions caused by the protest and occupation. Notable signatories included Mayor of Wellington
Andy Foster
Andrew John Whitfield Foster (born 21 December 1961) is a New Zealand politician who served as Mayor of Wellington from 2019 to 2022. Foster served on the Wellington City Council for nine terms from 1992 until 2019.
Biography Early life
Foste ...
, Mayor of
South Wairarapa
The South Wairarapa District is a district at the south-east tip of the North Island of New Zealand, governed by the South Wairarapa District Council. The district comprises the southernmost part of the Wairarapa, and is part of the Wellington Reg ...
Alex Beijen, Mayor of
Porirua Anita Baker
Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...
,
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand.
The university is well kno ...
Vice-Chancellor Grant Guildford, Green Party co-leader and List MP
James Shaw, and
Wellington Central Member of Parliament Grant Robertson.
On 22 February, former Prime Minister
Jim Bolger
James Brendan Bolger ( ; born 31 May 1935) is a New Zealand retired politician of the National Party who was the 35th prime minister of New Zealand, serving from 1990 to 1997.
Bolger was born to an Irish immigrant family in Ōpunake, Taran ...
weighed in and said political leaders should "get off their high horses" and speak to the protesters. He was critical of Arden's stance to not engage with protestors and thought this was an error as speaking with protesters would nullify a key criticism held by the protestors in that that nobody was listening to their concerns.
The protestors' demands to remove vaccine mandates were supported by New Conservative leader
Leighton Baker, former
Northland MP
Matt King,
New Zealand First leader
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020, ...
, former
Māori party
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
leaders
John Tamihere
John Henry Tamihere (born 8 February 1959) is a New Zealand politician, media personality, and political commentator. He was member of Parliament from 1999 to 2005, including serving as a Cabinet minister in the Labour Party from August 2002 to ...
and
Tariana Turia
Dame Tariana Turia (born 8 April 1944) is a New Zealand politician. She was first elected to Parliament in 1996. Turia gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy in 2004, and eventually broke with the Labour P ...
, current Māori party co-leaders
Rāwiri Waititi and
Debbie Ngārewa-Packer, National Party MP
Harete Hipango, and musician
Tiki Taane
Tiki Taane (born 17 December 1976) is a New Zealand-based musician, experimentalist, musical activist, producer, and live engineer. He was a member of leading New Zealand band Salmonella Dub but left after eleven years on 1 January 2007 to pur ...
.
Former
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president ...
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020, ...
also visited the protestors on 22 February unmasked.
Former ACT leader
Rodney Hide
Rodney Philip Hide (born 16 December 1956) is a former New Zealand politician of the ACT New Zealand party. Hide was a Member of Parliament for ACT from 1996 until 2011, was ACT's leader between 2004 and 2011, and represented the constituency f ...
and former National Party MP
Matt King also expressed support for the protesters' right to express their opposition to vaccine mandates.
![Matt King at anti-mandate occupation (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Matt_King_at_anti-mandate_occupation_%281%29.jpg)
On 8 February, the
Social Credit Party released a press statement advocating for an end to the government's vaccine mandate.
On 9 February, the
New Conservative Party New Conservative Party (or similar names) may refer to:
* New Conservative Party (UK), 1960–1962
* New Conservative Group, Australia, 1991–1992
* New Conservative Party (Japan), 2000–2003
* New Zealand Conservative Party, 1996-c.1998
* New C ...
voiced support for the Convoy 2022 protesters' opposition to vaccine mandates and
traffic light restrictions on social gatherings. The party also criticised Members of Parliament for allegedly ignoring their electors and trampling on people's rights. They called for a binding referendum to make the
New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990
The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (sometimes known by its acronym, NZBORA or simply BORA) is a statute of the Parliament of New Zealand part of New Zealand's uncodified constitution that sets out the rights and fundamental freedoms of an ...
"supreme law."
New Zealand Outdoors Party
The New Zealand Outdoors & Freedom Party is a registered political party in New Zealand. The party is led by co-leaders Sue Grey and Donna Pokere-Phillips, and seeks to protect New Zealand's environment and "outdoors heritage".
Principles and ...
co-leaders
Sue Grey and Alan Simmons attended the protest, and on 10 February released a statement condemning the arrest of protestors.
The Māori king and iwi leaders denounced the protest, calling on those involved to "go home and stop abusing the environment, people and sacred sites".
Governmental
Speaker
Trevor Mallard
Trevor Colin Mallard (born 17 June 1954) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party. First elected to Parliament in 1984, he was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2017 until 2022.
Mallard was a Cabinet m ...
's decision to deter the protestors by turning on the parliamentary sprinklers and spotlights and play "earworm" music such as
Macarena
"Macarena" is a dance song by Spanish pop duo Los del Río, about a woman of the same name. The song uses a type of clave rhythm. Originally appearing on the 1993 album '' A mí me gusta'', a subsequent remix by Miami-based producers The Bays ...
by
Los Del Rio
LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to:
Science and technology
* Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation
* Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers
* Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...
and
Barry Manilow's back catalogue has been met with a mixed reactions, with both praise and disapproval for the levity of doing so. Although criticised as "childish" by opposition parties for his actions, Mallard consulted local residents before playing the music, to their approval.
On 9 February, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated that the protesters did not represent the majority of New Zealanders, while COVID-19 Response Minister
Chris Hipkins
Christopher John Hipkins (born 5 September 1978) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician and a member of the Sixth Labour Government's Cabinet as Minister of Education, Minister of Police, Minister for the Public Service and Leader of the ...
described the protest as embodying numerous issues and lacking clarity. Ardern said it was hard to converse with people about facts when they hold views that question everything.
On 12 February, Deputy Prime Minister
Grant Robertson
Grant Murray Robertson (born 30 October 1971) is a New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party who has served as the 19th deputy prime minister of New Zealand since 2020 and the minister of Finance since 2017. He has served as Member ...
stated that protesters lost their right to protest when "they threaten, harass and disrupt people and a whole city." Robertson criticised protesters for intimidating school children wearing masks, blocking roads, disrupting emergency and transport services, and shutting down businesses. Robertson also objected to threats to arrest and execute him and other government ministers including Ardern.
Other political parties
On 9 February,
National Party leader Christopher Luxon criticised the protesters for impinging on other people's freedoms by obstructing roads and travel, while the National Party's COVID-19 Response spokesperson
Chris Bishop
Christopher Bishop (born 4 September 1983) is a New Zealand National Party politician who was first elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2014 as a list MP. Bishop won the Hutt South electorate in 2017 but lost the seat in 20 ...
described the protesters as anti-vaxxers who denied the "fundamentals of science." Similarly,
ACT Party leader
David Seymour criticised the protesters for trespassing on public property, while expressing concern about the Government's COVID-19 restrictions. Seymour said: "It's possible to have a peaceful protest but I think what they're doing is far too intense. I think what they need to do is respect the law, respect people's basic property rights and not believe that because they disagree they have the right to trample over a whole lot of other people."
On 16 February, Seymour became the first leader of a political party in parliament to speak directly with protestors stating "There are some completely unacceptable elements of this protest. But there are also a lot of people out there who are reasonable, are not violent, and simply want to be heard."
Joint statement
However, on 17 February, ACT and the other four political parties represented in Parliament (namely the
Labour, National,
Green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
, and
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
parties) issued a joint statement stating that they would not talk to the convoy protesters unless they removed vehicles that were blockading Parliament, removed their tents and other structures, and ceased intimidating Wellingtonians. The statement was issued by Speaker Trevor Mallard in his capacity as the chair of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
A March 1News Kantar Public poll found 46% approved of the governments handling of the protest while 43% disapproved.
Police
Many within New Zealand expressed anger with the long time it took the police to restore order and end the harassment of the public by the protestors, or to send in the army to tow protesters' cars. Others criticised the police commissioner
Andrew Coster for his lengthy focus on de-escalation, despite the protestors being highly decentralised and overwhelmingly unwilling to negotiate. Charlie Mitchell of
Stuff wrote that "by standing aside,
he police had made
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
a confrontation inevitable
ndviolent".
There were additional calls for Coster to resign for his handling of the protests.
On 24 March, the
Independent Police Conduct Authority
The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA, ) is an independent civilian oversight body that considers complaints against the New Zealand Police and oversees their conduct. It derives its responsibilities and powers from thIndependent Police ...
(IPCA) announced it had received nearly 1,900 complaints about the way the police handled the protest and that it would undertake an investigation. Many of the complaints came from people who were not present at the protests but were concerned about the delay in police enforcement.
Aftermath
![NZ Parliament Grounds Mar 2022 14](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/NZ_Parliament_Grounds_Mar_2022_14.jpg)
Following the dispersal of the Wellington anti-mandate protest, Police launched a criminal investigation on 3 March 2022 focusing on identifying criminal offending relating to the protest and occupation. In addition, a crime scene was established around Parliament grounds and the surrounding area to enable forensic investigators to identify those responsible for the arsons and other crimes which occurred during the riot outside Parliament on 2 March.
On 2 March, the
Porirua City Council
Porirua, ( mi, Pari-ā-Rua) a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. The name 'Porirua' is a corruption of 'Pari-rua', meaning "the tide swe ...
closed access to campervan carparks in Ngāti Toa Domain, Motukaraka Point, Bradey's Bay and Onepoto Esplanade Reserve after anti-mandate protesters occupied those sites and set up tents in violating of Council by-laws. Several of the Wellington anti-mandate protesters subsequently set up camp at various locations in the
Miramar Peninsula
The large Miramar Peninsula ( mi, Te Motu Kairangi) is on the southeastern side of the city of Wellington, New Zealand, at the entrance to Wellington Harbour, in Wellington's eastern suburbs. According to Māori legend, it was formed when the ...
including Mahanga Bay, which attracted between 25 and 30 vehicles and a couple of tents.
On 9 March, the Police destroyed camping equipment and personal belongings belonging to the Wellington protesters on the grounds that they had been contaminated by hay, dirt, and human waste. Police had removed these items during the Police operation on 2 March to clear the Parliament ground of protesters. The confiscated belongings were inspected by health protection officers from the
Porirua City Council
Porirua, ( mi, Pari-ā-Rua) a city in the Wellington Region of the North Island of New Zealand, is one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area. The name 'Porirua' is a corruption of 'Pari-rua', meaning "the tide swe ...
for hazards.
There is fear that the protest could act as a recruitment ground for extremists or far-right groups, with moderate protesters turning up being immersed in ideas promoted by the extremist groups that had infiltrated the protest.
On 3 May 2022, Winston Peters was trespassed from Parliament for two years by Mallard for visiting anti-vaccine mandate protesters. In response, Peters announced that he would seek a judicial review of the trespass notice. In addition, several other people including Matt King were issued with similar trespass notices. On 4 May, Mallard withdrew five of the trespass notices, including Peter's trespass notice, in response to the threat to seek a judicial review.
Related protests
![Convoy 2022 Dunedin NZ (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Convoy_2022_Dunedin_NZ_%283%29.jpg)
The Wellington Parliament protest and occupation inspired several smaller protests across New Zealand in
Picton,
Christchurch
Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...
, and
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
. As with the Wellington protest, these were organised via
Telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
and
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
. According to
The Spinoff
''The Spinoff'' is a New Zealand online magazine and news website that was founded in 2014. It is known for current affairs coverage, political and social analysis, and cultural commentary. It earns money through commercial sponsorship and su ...
news website, a "NZ Convoy" channel on Telegram, that had taken part in organising the Wellington protest, renamed itself "Freedom Camp NZ" and began promoting plans to expand the protest nationwide in mid-February. The "Freedom Camp NZ" then spawned a second Telegram group to facilitate planning for each city and town in New Zealand. To facilitate these solidarity protest, a conversation thread was created for each major New Zealand city and town to coordinate the establishment of "Freedom Camps" at the local level.
Picton
On 9 February, solidarity protesters gathered in the upper South Island town of
Picton. Unlike the Wellington protest, the Picton protest was largely peaceful, with local residents and businesses reporting minimal noise and disruption.
Following discussions between the Marlborough District Council and protest leaders on 11 February, Freedom Convoy protesters agreed to relocate from Nelson Square to Waitohi Domain by 16 February.
On 16 February, protester organisers abandoned their earlier agreement with local authorities to vacate the site by 5pm and stated that they would remain until the Government's vaccine mandate was lifted. Camp coordinator Craig Tough urged protesters to ignore the Marlborough District Council's trespass notices. By that time, there were at least 150 vehicles including food trucks present at the site. Gang members were also present as well. In response,
Mayor of Marlborough John Legett called on protesters to vacate the Nelson Square reserve and stated that the council would work with police to resolve the situation.
Following the Police dispersal of the Wellington protest which had turned into a riot on 2 March, Police warned the Picton protesters to leave the site. On 3 March, the Picton protesters agreed to vacate their camp site, citing the events in Wellington. Camp co-ordinator Craig Tough stated that "it was time to pack up and move on, but said the fight was far from over."
Dunedin
On 10 February, 60 protesters affiliated with the anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom staged a solidarity protest near the
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum
The Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is a regional history museum in Dunedin, New Zealand. Its brief covers the territory of the old Otago Province, that is, New Zealand from the Waitaki River south, though its main focus is the city of Dunedin. It i ...
in
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
.
Other regular protests have occurred daily in
Queens Gardens.
On 12 February, another protest was held in
The Octagon. Protesters camped on the site and announced that they would not leave until the Government lifted the country's vaccine mandates.
Protesters set up ten tents and two marquees. Local police and the
Dunedin City Council
The Dunedin City Council ( mi, Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Ōtepoti) is the local government authority for Dunedin in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Dunedin. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Dunedin is Jul ...
(DCC) monitored the protests to ensure that they did not cause trouble.
On three separate occasions,
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is New Zealand's main firefighting and emergency services body.
Fire and Emergency was formally established on 1 July 2017, after the New Zealand Fire Service, the National Rural Fire Authority, and 38 rural fire d ...
received three call-outs from the police, who had been alerted to fires lit in a brazier by members of the public.
As of 10 March, the anti-mandate protesters remained camped in the Octagon.
Mayor of Dunedin
The Mayor of Dunedin is the head of the local government, the city council of Dunedin, New Zealand. The Mayor's role is "to provide leadership to the other elected members of the territorial authority, be a leader in the community and perform c ...
Aaron Hawkins and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins urged the protesters to leave. The protest was mostly peaceful with local authorities monitoring the situation and liaising with organisers.
On 7 April, the Dunedin City Council issued a letter ordering the protesters to leave, stating that their occupation of the Octagon violated the Reserves Act 1977 and Dunedin's Reserves and Beaches Bylaw. Mayor Hawkins warned protesters to leave by 11 April or they would be formally trespassed. In addition, the Council switched off the supply of electricity to the Octagon Reserve and a private company took steps to remove a portable toilet after learning of the Council's intentions. A Police spokesperson also confirmed that they were working with local council authorities and protesters to defuse the situation.
In response to the Council's letter, protesters have refused to leave until the Government has lifted all vaccine mandates including the one for healthcare workers and called for supporters to join them in solidarity. Former jailhouse lawyer and protester supporter
Arthur William Taylor
Arthur William Taylor (born 1956) is a high-profile former prison inmate who served time in Auckland Prison at Paremoremo, Auckland, New Zealand. In 2016 he had spent 38 years in prison and had a total of 152 convictions. As a prison inmate, he a ...
claimed that 70 supporters would be travelling from other cities and towns to support the Dunedin protesters.
That same day, protesters verbally abused Mayor Hawkins while he was being interviewed by news broadcaster
Newshub
''Newshub'' (stylised as ''Newshub.'') is a New Zealand news service that airs on the television channels Three and Eden, as well as on digital platforms. It formerly operated across radio stations run by MediaWorks Radio until December 2021 ...
. On 8 April, an eight year boy reportedly assaulted a contractor removing a portaloo that the protesters had been using.
On 11 April, protesters agree to remove all their tents and structures prior to the 12 pm deadline. Protest organisers issued a
Telegram
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
message stating that they had made the decision to dissolve their "Freedom Camp" peacefully, ending their 60-day occupation of the Octagon. Protest supporter Taylor stated that the protesters' decision had been prompted by concerns about how authorities would respond but reiterated that they would continue their anti-vaccine mandate protest through other means. In response to the end of the Freedom Camp's occupation, Hawkins stated that the City Council would be assessing any damage to the Octagon Reserve. In mid-May, the Dunedin City Council confirmed that contractors had replaced the lawn in the upper Octagon, which amounted to total cost of NZ$$12,264.65.
Christchurch
On 12 February, protesters staged a march to express solidarity with the Wellington Convoy participants.
On 14 February, a small group of protesters sent up tents in the city centre's
Cranmer Square
Cranmer Square is an urban park in central Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located northwest of the city's centre, Cathedral Square. The major arterial route of Montreal Street skirts the edge of the square. The square (actually a rectangle) is ...
with representatives announcing that they would not leave until the Government had lifted the country's vaccine mandate. The
Christchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council is the local government authority for Christchurch in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Christchurch. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Christchurch is Phil Mauger, wh ...
confirmed that it was working with police to liaise with the protesters. Cranmer Square is classified as a reserve under Christchurch's by-laws.
On 19 February, a thousand protesters marched through the Christchurch CBD to the
Bridge of Remembrance, demanding an end to vaccine mandate rules barring unvaccinated people from certain jobs and venues and objecting to the vaccination of children. Protesters disrupted traffic but Police were not present at the protest.
On 8 March, Christchurch City Council staff and Police met with protesters and issued them with instructions to remove the tents and camping equipment in Cranmer Square. The protesters agreed to take down these structures by the evening of 9 March. By that time, between 50 and 70 protesters remained camped at the site. On 9 March, the anti-vaccine mandate protesters vacated Cranmer Square, ending the three week occupation of the site. An organiser for the Christchurch protest stated that they had decided to leave peacefully in order to avoid a situation similar to the violent outcome of the Wellington protest. Following the withdrawal of the protesters, Council contractors replaced the lawn in Cranmer Square, which amounted to about NZ$70,000.
From 1 April, anti-vaccine mandate protesters set up camp on earthquake-damaged red-zone land near
Burnwood. The land is owned by
Land Information New Zealand
Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with geographical information and surveying functions as well as handling land titles, and managing Crown land and property. The minist ...
but managed by the Christchurch City Council. In response to complaints by local residents, the Council confirmed that it was liaising with protest leaders, the Police,
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is New Zealand's main firefighting and emergency services body.
Fire and Emergency was formally established on 1 July 2017, after the New Zealand Fire Service, the National Rural Fire Authority, and 38 rural fire d ...
, and social service agencies to ensure the safety of protesters.
Wānaka
In mid February, anti-vaccine mandate protesters occupied
Wānaka
Wānaka () is a popular ski and summer resort town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. At the southern end of Lake Wānaka, it is at the start of the Clutha River/Mata-Au and is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park.
...
's Ardmore Street for four days, leading to reports of disorderly conduct and complaints of intimidation from local businesses.
Auckland
On 27 February,
Brian Tamaki
Brian Raymond Tamaki (born 2 February 1958), is a New Zealand fundamentalist Christian religious leader and far-right political activist. A Tainui man from the Ngati Ngawaero and Ngati Maniapoto tribes, he is the leader of Destiny Church, a ...
's Freedom and Rights Coalition organised a protest march across the
Auckland Harbour Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane motorway bridge over the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. It joins St Marys Bay on the Auckland city side with Northcote on the North Shore side. It is part of State Highway 1 and th ...
to
Victoria Park Victoria Park may refer to:
Places Australia
* Victoria Park Nature Reserve, a protected area in Northern Rivers region, New South Wales
* Victoria Park, Adelaide, a park and racecourse
* Victoria Park, Brisbane, a public park and former golf ...
. A group of protesters subsequently set up camp in the
Auckland Domain. Police blocked roads to the Auckland Domain to prevent more people from joining while the
Auckland Council issued by-law breach notices ordering the campers to leave.
Their presence was also opposed by the mana whenua
Ngāti Whātua
Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa, ...
, who issued demands that they leave their rohe. An iwi spokesman said of the protests: "We're unequivocal: We are the tangata whenua of
Central Auckland and of that site, Pukekaroa and Waikohanga. Despite protestors initially claiming they were "not going anywhere", they accepted a second Police request to leave on 3 March, the day after the Police evicted the anti-mandate protesters at Parliament. Police and Auckland Council officials helped the protesters to remove their tents and camping equipment.
In addition to the Auckland Domain protest, the Telegram influencer Karen Brewer attempted to organise protests outside the
Governor-General's official residences in Wellington and Auckland. Her goal was to get Governor-General
Cindy Kiro
Dame Alcyion Cynthia Kiro (; Simpson; born 1958) is a New Zealand public health academic, administrator, and advocate, who has served as the 22nd governor-general of New Zealand since 21 October 2021. Kiro is the first Māori woman, the third ...
to dissolve Parliament and issue a writ for a new election.
Invercargill
On 2 March, anti-mandate protesters set up a "freedom camp" outside Queens Park on Gala Street. They erected eight large tents, around four or five smaller tents, a van, a portaloo and a marquee on the reserve. The protest attracted at least 40 people. In response to the "freedom camp," the
Invercargill City Council
Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of ...
stated that they were monitoring the situation and working with Police. The protest ended on 10 March.
See also
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COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
The COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand is part of COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case of the disease in New Zealand was reported ...
*
COVID-19 anti-lockdown protests in New Zealand
*
Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
*
My Vaccine Pass
My Vaccine Pass is a vaccine certificate issued by the New Zealand Government that serves as an official record of one's COVID-19 vaccination status. The vaccine pass is required to enter hospitality venues, community, sport and faith-based ga ...
*
Canada convoy protest
*
Convoy to Canberra
References
External links
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{{COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
2022 in New Zealand
February 2022 events in New Zealand
Wellington protests
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on politics
Protests in New Zealand
Protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic
Occupations (protest)
2022 riots
Riots and civil disorder in New Zealand
Attacks on buildings and structures in New Zealand
Attacks on buildings and structures in 2022
2022 fires