Marches against mandates draw crowds across country

More than 260 people marched up George St to the Octagon in a protest against the Covid vaccination mandate this morning.

Event co-organiser Audrie Addison said they were a collective of like-minded people who were supporting those who would lose their jobs on Monday as a result of the Government's "no jab, no job" mandate.

"I’m supporting this because I don’t like what the Government is doing to the people. We should have freedom of choice."

In Cromwell, about 60 people lined the highway going past the entrance to the town, showing signs to passing traffic.

An organiser said people from around the area had travelled to take part in the protest.

There are protests against in several parts of the country today, some involving cars which disrupted traffic in Auckland and Wellington.

The Freedoms & Rights Coalition protest group had earlier proposed a "Great Gridlock" of slow-moving vehicles to block traffic across several New Zealand cities.

There is heavy rain across much of the country, but thousands of people have turned out to make their voices heard.

In Christchurch hundreds of protesters have taken to the inner city streets.

Revving motorbikes and loudspeakers made a loud impact as they travelled from Cathedral Square through the CBD.

Protests have also been reported in many smaller centres across the country.

 - additional reporting NZ Herald