New Zealand police clash with Covid protesters at parliament

A woman sits in front of police before they moved in to evict protesters in parliament grounds in Wellington

Protesters resist police before they moved in to evict mandate protesters in parliament grounds in Wellington on February 10, 2022

Police and anti-vaccine protesters clashed on the grounds of New Zealand's parliament Thursday, with more than 120 arrested after demonstrators who camped outside the legislature for three days were ordered to move on.

Activists chanted the Maori haka and yelled "hold the line", as they scuffled with a phalanx of officers moving to clear a makeshift settlement on the lawns of parliament.

Police moved in early Thursday after taking a hands-off approach to the first two days of protests, warning the crowd to leave or face arrest.

The protest began Tuesday as a copycat of a "Freedom Convoy" action by Canadian truckers, with hundreds of semi-trailers and campervans jamming streets in central Wellington.

Wellington City Council, which also took a low-key approach in the protest's early stages, said its parking officers had started issuing tickets to convoy vehicles blocking city streets.

"Roads are blocked in the city, businesses have had to shut, people felt threatened and intimidated by some of the protesters," he told Radio New Zealand prior to the police operation.

Wellington police commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said more than 150 extra officers were brought in from outside the capital to clear the protest.

In a rare move, authorities closed the parliamentary precinct to the public to prevent reinforcements joining the protest.  

Parnell said it could take days to disperse the crowd, accusing some activists of using children as human shields to frustrate police.

One woman, who refused to give her name, accused police of provoking the crowd.

"I never thought I'd see this in New Zealand."

New Zealand requires mandatory Covid vaccinations for people working in sectors such as health, law enforcement, education and defence, with those who refuse the jab facing the sack.

The "Freedom Convoy" of truckers in Canada has gridlocked the capital Ottawa since late last month, prompting city authorities to declare a state of emergency.

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