Untitled (Police in riot gear, Covid-19 anti-mandate protest)

Adrian Lambert took this digital photograph on the last day of the Covid 19 anti-mandate protest in Wellington. Protesters occupied the grounds of Parliament and its surrounding streets for 23 days from 7 February to 2 March 2022. The protest ended in a violent clash between protesters and police, resulting in 87 arrests.

The protest was inspired by the ‘Freedom Convoy’ in Canada, which involved a weeks-long occupation of Parliament Hill in Ottawa by a convoy of truckers opposing the country’s Covid-19 restrictions. In New Zealand, vehicles set off on Sunday 6 February and arrived at Parliament’s grounds on 7 February. The convoy turned into a full-scale occupation, and participants established a ‘Freedom Camp’ with tents, a play centre, mobile laundry, yoga classes, food trucks and vegetable gardens.

As the occupation continued the mood of the event changed. There were reports of threatening and violent behaviour and some of the messages included racial slurs, misogyny and calls for ‘Nuremburg’ inspired trials and executions. The occupation also attracted conspiracy theorists, far-right extremists and groups calling for the overthrow of the government. Iwi leaders from across Aotearoa joined with Wellington’s mana whenua to condemn the acts of aggression and disrespect for tikanga demonstrated throughout the occupation. NZ Police found it hard to negotiate with the convoy, as there was no clear leadership structure. The protest ended in a riot on 2 March 2022, as people from the camp brandishing fire extinguishers, paint-filled projectiles and other homemade weapons clashed with police officers in riot gear.

References

• Corlett, Eva. 2022. Fires and clashes break out at New Zealand parliament as police move in to clear protest. The Guardian, March 2 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/02/police-move-to-clear-new-zealand-protests-as-maori-king-calls-for-end-to-occupation
• Hall, Kristin. 2022. ‘We want to feel safe’, say Wellingtonians who’ve been attacked by protesters. 1News, February 19 2022. https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/19/we-want-to-feel-safe-say-wellingtonians-whove-been-attacked-by-protesters/
• McConnell, Glenn. 2022. Iwi take unprecedented stand against ‘abusive’ protesters who invaded marae. Stuff, February 28 2022. https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/127904988/iwi-take-unprecedented-stand-against-abusive-protesters-who-invaded-marae
• NZ Herald. 2022. Covid 19 Wellington protest: Police fire sponge rounds at mob; protesters smash university campus; PM blasts occupiers 'desecrating' Parliament. NZ Herald, March 2 2022. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-wellington-protest-police-fire-sponge-rounds-at-mob-protesters-smash-university-campus-pm-blasts-occupiers-desecrating-parliament/G2MMKZHJBMAWWSQHYH4AUMJYD4/
• Radio New Zealand. 2022. Far right elements at convoy could radicalise others to violence – researcher. Morning Report, February 21 2022. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/461959/far-right-elements-at-convoy-could-radicalise-others-to-violence-researcher
• Reeve, Dylan. 2022. NZ has a trucker convoy, because protests are global now. The Spinoff, February 9 2022. https://thespinoff.co.nz/irl/09-02-2022/nz-has-a-trucker-convoy-because-protests-are-global-now