Police hold riot shields as demonstrators against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions gather outside of New Zealand's parliament grounds in WellingtonAFP

Riot police move in on New Zealand anti-vax protest

02 Mar 2022, 01:00 · Japan Today

WELLINGTON — Riot police clashed with anti-vaccination demonstrators outside New Zealand's parliament in Wellington on Wednesday, using pepper spray and making dozens of arrests as they moved to end a long-running protest.

Hundreds of police took to the streets of the capital before dawn in a bid to clear a camp that has clogged roads around parliament for more than three weeks.

Officers with riot shields advanced on protesters yelling "Move, move", pulling down tents and towing vehicles from the area.

Demonstrators who resisted were pepper sprayed and sporadic fighting erupted as police warned Wellington residents and office workers to steer clear of the area.

Police reported they has seen some protesters armed with pitchforks but said they "gained significant ground" during the operation, which continued into Wednesday morning.

The Wellington protest began as a movement against coronavirus vaccine mandates -- inspired by similar protests in the Canadian capital Ottawa. It has grown to encompass a range of grievances, with some far-right messaging among the anti-government and anti-media slogans on display.

At its peak, about 3,000 people were camped outside parliament, but numbers have dwindled to a hardcore of about 300 in the past week.

Police have warned of unsanitary conditions and the camp has become a COVID-19 hotspot, with numerous cases reported among the largely unmasked demonstrators.

Wellington residents have complained about being abused by protesters for wearing masks, while schools and businesses close to the camp have closed.

The protesters have ignored numerous appeals from police and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to leave.

Prior to Wednesday, police had adopted a hands-off approach, setting up roadblocks to prevent the camp spreading as they tried to negotiate a peaceful end to the protest.

In recent weeks, they have accused protesters of hurling human feces at them, spraying a "stinging substance" at officers and slashing tires on police cars.