No arrests at Parliament during protest, police to consider follow-up enforcement action

Tuesday, 9 November 2021

Freedoms and Rights Coalition protest at Parliament

No arrests were made at a “largely peaceful” protest outside Parliament today, police said.

However, follow-up enforcement action will be considered by police in coming days, a spokesman said in a statement.

The protest of an estimated 3000 people which brought parts of central Wellington to a standstill winded down by about 2.45pm, with only about 100 people left outside Parliament.

The Freedoms and Rights Coalition protest, seemingly against the vaccine mandate, swelled in size by the time it had left Te Ngākau Civic Square on Tuesday morning, with some people estimating thousands of people were taking part. The coalition’s founder is Brian Tamaki.

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Thousands of protesters make their way onto Parliament grounds.

Police said it was disappointing that so many people chose to ignore various alert level requirements.

“It is disappointing that so many people chose to ignore various Alert Level requirements designed to keep us all safe,” the statement said.

Protesters led by motorcyclists make their way down Willis St.

A large contingent of motorcycles, including those being driven by several different patched gang members, blocked Willis St prior to the march.

By 10.30 on Tuesday morning there was a crowd of about 800 at Te Ngākau Civic Square.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean estimated there were about 3000 protesters, which made it a “small to medium” protest by Wellington standards. Protest organisers did not seek the council’s permission but did not necessarily need it.

Patti Lange of ManawatÅ« is a counsellor at Abuse and Rape Crisis (ARCS).

A Stuff photographer was grabbed and pushed by protesters who yelled anti-media abuse at him.

Protesters led by motorcyclists on Willis Street make their way through Wellington.

Protesters gather at Te Ngākau Civic Square on Tuesday ahead of a march on Parliament.

While most protesters were carrying signs about vaccine mandates, others were waving Trump flags.

Watching the protesters marching down Willis St outside the Spark Building from the footpath, one onlooker named Michelle said she thought it was “just a joke”.

“Open up the whole country then and let them get Covid,” she said. “Then they can pay for their own hospital bill. This will spread it now. Some here probably have it already.”

Many people who joined the protest said they were not against vaccination but against the government mandates.

One self-employed business owner, who gave her name only as Sarah, said that “the truth doesn't mind being questioned”.

“We don't think the Government can make a decision for every single person in this country about what goes in their body,” Sarah said, describing herself as “vaccine hesitant”.

Patti Lange of Manawatū is a counsellor at Abuse and Rape Crisis (ARCS) and is expecting to lose her job on Monday, when mandates come in for healthcare workers.

Lange said there was a 10-month wait list to receive support at ARCS and the mandates will have a “huge impact” on children and adults needing support in her field of work.

Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard boosted security ahead of the protests, with most access points to Parliament and the Beehive closed off. There were only two entrances to Parliament’s grounds that remained open.

Mallard said that he had never seen Parliament locked down to this degree for security reasons in his nearly four decades working in and around the building.