Tension at Parliament is rising, as police arrive in numbers to continue removing protesters occupying Parliament grounds as the ranks of the demonstration continue to swell.
Unlike yesterday, officers arriving at Parliament this morning are carrying batons as they move into position on the forecourt in Wellington.
Some protesters can be heard yelling "remain peaceful" over megaphones - but other protesters are hurling abuse at the arriving officers. At least two people who were arrested yesterday are back at the protest now in its fourth day.
A total of 122 people were arrested in a volatile day of ‘‘unprecedented’’ protests yesterday, indicating the anti-Covid vaccine mandate occupation could last days.
Wellington district commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said on top of 900 officers in the district, another 150 had been pulled in from across the country, with potentially more to come.
Protesters say the standoff will last until mandates are removed. Dozens of tents remain on Parliament lawn on Friday, with food services and portaloos set up and reports of reinforcements arriving from across the country.
Parnell said police would continue to take a measured approach to the protesters who are trespassing, despite being repeatedly asked to leave.
"This is an extremely difficult working environment for our frontline staff."
Protesters living in the makeshift camping site dubbed "camp freedom" are expecting more people to join their ranks across the day.
One told NZME reporter they are expecting more people to join them today, including a big group of school children.
"A whole lot of kids will come in today and they'll see how happy and peaceful everyone is," he said.
Meanwhile, parking wardens escorted by police yesterday began ticketing vehicles, which have been blocking streets around Parliament and causing severe disruption to businesses.
It is also understood the New Zealand Army is being considered to remove vehicles if tow-trucks are unavailable.
Protesters 'misguided'
Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard has voiced concern for the safety of politicians and journalists due to the protests, saying they were receiving serious threats of violence from protesters, including death threats.
Graffiti on the forecourt of Parliament from protesters yesterday read "hang 'em high".
Attorney-General David Parker today poured scorn on the protestors occupying Parliament's grounds, calling them a tiny group of misguided people who believed garbage on social media.
Parker told AM that former deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters had got it wrong after he levelled criticism at police taking action against protestors on Parliament grounds yesterday.
Yesterday Peters tweeted that if you occupy private land like Ihumatao you can stay as long as you want and were embraced by the Government, whereas if you occupied public land you would be trespassed on the same day and labelled a minority.
"He's wrong on this one," said Parker.
"You've got a tiny group of New Zealanders who are misguided because they believe the garbage that's on social media and they're blocking roads."
He said the actions of the protestors were preventing local businesses to open, people had been assaulted and abuse and threats had been hurled at journalists.
"This is different. People obviously have the right to protest. I'm a political activist and I've been protesting on the streets since the 1970s but we expect people to abide by the law and we expect the police to enforce it and how they do it is for them."
- RNZ and NZ Herald
