Sir Russell Coutts to join Parliament protest heading into eleventh day

Thursday, 17 February 2022

Streets in the area around Parliament remain clogged with hundreds of protester vehicles.

What you need to know:

Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern says restrictions will end but not now.
A new record of 1573 community cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Thursday.
Hundreds of protesters remain on Parliament’s lawn and blocking nearby streets.
Thursday is the 10th day of the protest. Police have signalled vehicles blocking streets will be towed if they are not moved but this is yet to begin
Four Defence Force vehicles have arrived in Wellington. NZDF have not yet decided if they will provide support in a mass tow operation.
The Officials' Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination (ODESC) are discussing the Government’s response to the protest.

Sir Russell Coutts said he will join the protest in Wellington next week.

New Zealand sailing legend Sir Russell Coutts has confirmed he will attend the anti-mandate protest at Parliament next week.

In a post on social media, the Olympic gold medallist and five-time America's Cup winner said he is vaccinated, but against vaccine mandates.

“I'm also strongly opposed to the ever-increasing erosion of our human rights and the growing limitations on our freedom of choice,” he said.

He called the Government’s Covid-19 rules “irrational”. It’s not the first time Coutts has expressed similar views, accusing the Government of ‘dictatorship’ over Covid-19 restrictions last year.

MPs say they will not talk with protesters until they stop illegal activity.

* Crisis negotiator says police are neglecting a direct line to Parliament protesters - social media

An increasing number of vehicles continue to block Wellington streets.

* Tow companies say they are avoiding protest because 'it could get nasty'

Mandate and anti-vaccine protesters have gathered in their hundreds on the lawns of the Beehive Parliament grounds in Wellington.

Police say they are continuing to work towards a peaceful end to protest, which is heading into its eleventh day, as MPs reveal what will be needed for talks to take place with the group.

The situation has been made more challenging after three staff members at Police National Headquarters, where the major police operation for the protest is being run, have contracted Covid-19.

Protesters arrested in last week’s clash with police gather outside the Wellington District Court on Thursday.

On Thursday, every party in Parliament signed a joint statement saying they will not talk to the convoy protesters until they stop breaking the law.

“There will be no dialogue with protesters currently occupying the Parliamentary Precinct and surrounding areas until the protest returns to one within the law, including the clearing of all illegally parked vehicles that are blocking streets, the removal of unauthorised structures, and the cessation of the intimidation of Wellingtonians,” the statement, released by Speaker Trevor Mallard as the chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission, said.

Police acknowledged Mallard’s statement and said they are continuing to engage with protest leaders to return the protest to a “lawful state” and work to a peaceful de-escalation and resolution.

Earlier, Government officials that make up ODESC (Officials' Committee for Domestic and External Security Coordination) met to discuss the protest and the Government response, in an effort to make sure “all risks and potential implications” were understood.

Police have now significantly increased their towing capacity, but no vehicles have been towed yet, as the roads continue to be blocked by an increasing number of vehicles.

“Having observed the response from protestors and noting the ongoing dynamics of similar situations overseas, police is continuing to exercise careful judgement about when to commence a towing phase,” police said in a statement.

Defence Minister Peeni Henare said if Defence Force vehicles were called in to remove cars and campervans, they would be wrecked.

“Many of the Defence Force towing vehicles aren't actually towing vehicles, they're salvage vehicles. So if one of them were to pick up a car, it would wreck the car,” Henare told media on Thursday.

“We were asked to bring bigger, heavier vehicles because of the large vehicles, the camper vans etc [at the protest].

“But I've seen those in operation they literally drag them on to the back of a truck, which would ultimately wreck their [the protesters'] gear. That's what I've been advised.”

An ambulance was unable to gain direct access to a patient who had suffered a medical event inside Parliament grounds overnight on Wednesday, due to vehicles blocking surrounding roads, police said.

Earlier, police said 450 vehicles were illegally parked. On Thursday night, police were unable to provide an updated figure.

Yesterday, protesters began setting up outside the entrance to the Beehive bunker on Bowen St, which serves as the National Crisis Management Centre (NCMC).

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean confirmed rubbish trucks had been sent in to gather the mounting piles of rubbish. There had previously been concerns from police and the council about the squalid conditions.

Meanwhile protesters facing charges of wilful trespass, failing to provide identification or obstruction of police, resulting from their protest activities arrived at Wellington District Court en masse on Thursday. Most entered no plea to their charges.