WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) – Thick black smoke swirled over New Zealand’s parliament building and sirens sounded Wednesday as protesters withdrew against coronavirus vaccine mandates. set fire to tents, mattresses and chairs.
This appears to have been the latest act of disobedience, as police raided the camp, which protesters first set up more than three weeks ago.. The police regained the control of the Parliament building, although dozens of protesters remained on the nearby streets, some of the employees. The once well-maintained territory of parliament was left scarred, a children’s slide in ruins.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said police planned hostility, resistance and violence when planning the operation – but it was quite another to witness.
“I was both angry and deeply sad. “To see Parliament – your parliament, our parliament – desecrated in this way and the playground destroyed by a small group of illegal protesters,” Ardern said. “But, as I said, this is not something that will determine New Zealand’s response to this pandemic.”
Earlier, police dressed in riot gear and pepper spray attacked hundreds of people who occupied the area and surrounding streets. Police in the morning focused on the periphery of the protest before heading to the main camp in the afternoon.
This was the most significant use of force by the authorities against demonstrators. As they were retiring in the afternoon, they threw objects over several fires, which police extinguished with water hoses.
The protesters said in a statement that they were united in their desire to resign and make their own informed choices about their health, without coercion or punishment. They said the vast majority of protesters behaved well and chose to camp as a last resort after other options for dialogue were canceled.
The operation began at dawn when police began telling people over loudspeakers that they had violated and had to leave as officers tore down tents in peripheral areas and a police helicopter circled over them. Some protesters protested against police and used milk to clear their eyes of pepper spray.
Police download and some of about 300 cars, vans and trucks that protesters have used to block the streets. The convoy was inspired by similar protests in Canada and sparked other rallies around New Zealand, leading to a more political atmosphere.
Ardern’s security details have been stepped up after protesters drove her to events, including when she left school in Christchurch last week.
Police Commissioner Andrew Koster told reporters he had brought in several hundred additional officers from across the country for the operation, which will continue until all vehicles and tents are gone.
Koster said some protesters sprayed fire extinguishers and threw paint at officers as they advanced, while others used makeshift shields and barricades. He said a laser pointer was aimed at the police helicopter.
By evening, police said they had towed about 50 vehicles and left 30 more. They had arrested 65 people for infiltration, damage and carrying weapons. And three police officers were treated at a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Koster said the officers had decided to relocate because constructive talks with protest leaders had not progressed before and many real protesters had left and been replaced by people more prone to violent confrontation.
“I was very clear about our approach, which was to de-escalate. “No one here has an interest in turning this into a battle,” Koster said. “However, this protest has upset the balance and must now end.”
Ardern said Wednesday that the protest was fueled by misinformation and conspiracy theories. She also pointed out that COVID-19 had spread to the protest and some protesters had been hospitalized.
Deputies from all parties refused to meet with the protesters.
Last week, a protester drove a car to a police line, avoiding police, and police said some protesters threw human feces at them.
Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Wednesday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
The protesters were well organized, pitching tents on lawns in front of parliament and transporting portable toilets, donated crates and bales of straw to lie down when the grass turned to mud. They even dug a vegetable garden, set up a day care tent, and assembled makeshift showers, signaling their intention to stay for a long time.
At one point, Speaker Trevor Mallard turned on the sprinklers and blew up Barry Manilou’s tunes in an unsuccessful attempt to get them to leave.
New Zealand is experiencing its biggest outbreak since the beginning of the pandemic, as the omicron variant is spreading. Health authorities reported a record 22,000 new cases a day on Wednesday.
Ardern said he plans to start easing mandates and restrictions on viruses once the peak of the Omicron epidemic is over.
About 77% of New Zealand’s population is vaccinated with two doses.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, New Zealand has reported fewer than 100 deaths from the virus among its 5 million people, after imposing strict border controls and blockades to eliminate earlier outbreaks.