‘Give Us Back 2018’: Thousands In New Zealand Are Protesting Against PM Jacinda Ardern’s Covid-19 Rules

After thousands of protesters gathered outside the parliament building in Wellington, New Zealand beefed up security measures with all but two entrances to the Beehive closed off.

Protesters attend a Freedom and Rights Coalition demonstration to demand an end to Covid-19 restrictions and mandatory vaccination outside the Parliament House building in Wellington on November 9, 2021. | AFP

New Delhi: New Zealand is witnessing massive protests against the government, with the people demanding a rollback of the vaccine mandates, restrictions, and lockdowns imposed to control the pandemic.

After thousands of protesters, mostly unmasked people, gathered outside the country’s parliament building after marching through Wellington city, the authorities beefed up security measures Tuesday, Reuters reported.

All but two entrances to the parliament building, known as the Beehive, were closed off.

People were seen shouting slogans and holding placards with messages that read "Freedom" and "Kiwis are not lab rats", the report said.

There were also placards that showed support to former US President Donald Trump.

Others slammed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with slogans such as "Pro Choice, Anti Jacinda". There were also placards that read "Media Lies" and "Media Treason".

"I will not be coerced and I will not be forced into taking something I don't want in my body," Reuters quoted a protester outside the parliament building as saying.

"I'm asking (the government) to give us back 2018."

Pressure On PM Jacinda Ardern To Ease Restrictions

While 125 new cases were reported on Tuesday, New Zealand with a population of 5 million still has among the world’s lowest Covid-19 cases. It has reported fewer than 8,000 cases and 32 deaths so far. 

However, this has come with strict lockdown measures and restrictions. 

In Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, residents were given stay-at-home orders in mid-August. And the restrictions would remain until the end of November, Ardern indicated this week, according to an AFP report.

She has promised to end lockdowns once 90 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. However, those unvaccinated will continue to face curbs on employment, travel, etc.

Struggling to contain the highly infectious Delta variant this year, New Zealand has changed its strategies from staying safe through lockdowns to living with the virus by scaling up vaccinations.

The country has already vaccinated nearly 80 percent of its eligible population with both doses.

In October, Ardern said teachers and workers in the health and disability sectors must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. This didn’t go down well with people who called for more freedoms and wanted a rollback of mandatory vaccine requirements.

Asked about the government's decision on mandating the vaccine, a protester said: "Treat us like people!"

Speaking to the media inside parliament, Ardern, however, said: "What we saw today was not representative of the vast bulk of New Zealanders."

With the Christmas holidays approaching, the PM is also facing growing political pressure to ease pandemic measures.

She is expected to face more protests in Auckland during her planned visit Wednesday, Reuters reported.