Clashes between police and protesters against vaccination

Clashes that took place in Wellington outside New Zealand Parliament on Tuesday included anti-vaccine protesters against police with riot shields, police said in a statement. Tensions had risen somewhat the previous day, when police accused protesters of dumping human excrement on police who were erecting concrete dams around a protester camp.

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According to police, in the early hours of Tuesday morning (New Zealand time), the protesters tried to block customers who had come to approach the barricades from the camp. “At least three officers need medical attention after protesters sprayed them with an unknown substance.”The police said in its statement. “A person was arrested after trying to steer a car towards a group of police officers”she added.

Two weeks after starting their move, inspired by Canadian “caravans” against the restrictions, protesters continued to pour out this weekend despite calls from police urging them to leave. The movement was initially anti-vaccine, but as it gained momentum, its demands became more numerous. Some protesters showed their affiliation with the far right, chanting messages against the government and the media.

Wellington residents have complained of being mistreated by protesters for wearing masks. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned ‘bullying and harassment’ towards them. New Zealand, with a population of five million, has recorded 53 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic. On Monday, 2,377 new cases were identified.

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