Defaced Covid-19 poster, Newtown, Wellington

This photograph of a defaced poster was taken during the first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown when New Zealand was in Alert Level 4 (11.59pm on 25 March to 11.59pm on 27 April 2020). It was one of many scenes captured by Te Papa photographers who took their cameras with them when they went on local walks during lockdown.

During lockdown, anyone who was not an essential worker had to stay home in their 'bubble' to prevent community transmission of the virus. This poster appeared en masse in streets throughout New Zealand from the end of March 2020.

Copies of the poster were repurposed by anti-5G protesters for their own messaging against the installation of 5G cellular towers which they feared would increase radiation in the environment. Such repurposing of official messaging is a common activist strategy.