After Canada's Trudeau, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern threatens COVID mandate protesters

As protests against vaccine mandates intensified in New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday asserted to invoke harsher steps to deal with the situation. The statement from PM Jacinda Ardern came nearly a week after the protestors started gathering in the national capital Wellington, thus disrupting normal life. While addressing a press conference, PM Ardern said that protesters who oppose coronavirus mandates were using “intimidation and harassment,” as authorities appeared to take a harsher stance toward the convoy of demonstrators that have disrupted the capital of Wellington for nearly a week.

Notably, the New Zealand Prime Minister's statement comes after Canada, in a similar move threatened harsh penalties on COVID mandate protestors. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an unprecedented step to invoke the Emergencies Act to clamp down the truckers' protest against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Trudeau has said that the response to anti-mandate protests in Canada would be “time-limited”, “reasonable and proportionate” and would not see the deployment of the military.

Anti COVID mandate protests 'cannot be tolerated': Jacinda Ardern  

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, police, initially, let protesters set up tents and camp on the grounds of New Zealand’s Parliament but later arrested nearly 120 of the protestors, AP reported. In the last three-four days, around 3,000 protestors again gathered near the Parliament.

During the presser, PM Ardern signalled the thinning patience of authorities. "I very clearly have a view on the protesters and the way that they’ve conducted their protest because it has moved beyond sharing a view to intimidation and harassment of the people around central Wellington," AP quoted Ardern as saying. "That cannot be tolerated," she added.

Meanwhile, police on Tuesday asked protestors to move illegally parked vehicles as soon as possible. They also offered them to park vehicles at a nearby stadium. “Wellingtonians have the right to move freely and safely around the city so all roads being clear is a top priority,” said Superintendent Corrie Parnell, the Wellington district commander.

It is worth mentioning that the protests in New Zealand came after the country imposed mandatory vaccination on a certain group of people including, teachers, doctors, nurses, police and military personnel. Apart from vaccines, the group has also been directed to carry vaccine passes to enter most stores and restaurants.

Central Christchurch residents want police to take action against protestors

According to the New Zealand Prime Minister, it was necessary to invoke such measures as the country has been experiencing a tremendous soar in COVID-19 cases. Daily case numbers jumped to a new high of nearly 1,000 on Monday, up from about 200 per day just five days earlier.

Ardern said that the timing of the mass campout couldn’t be worse.

"At the very point where we are seeing an increase in cases, and an increase in risk to the public health and wellbeing of New Zealand, they want to see removed the very measures that have kept us safe, well and alive," Ardern said.

Additionally, Central Christchurch residents want police to take action against a small group of anti-mandate protesters before it turns into an occupation like in Wellington, reported Stuff News.

(With inputs from AP, Image: AP)