I have been in Wellington since last Thursday and some of my duties have included providing security near the library entrance and the Speaker’s Lawn.
At any one time there have been about eight to ten staff from Dunedin helping with early or late shifts at the site.
Much of it has involved building security but there have also been reassurance patrols, which is walking around the central area by the parliamentary buildings providing a presence.
Early on Monday we were involved in moving concrete blocks and on Tuesday we moved blocks closer to further reduce the area of protest activity.
Some of the issues have included police staff being injured and a vehicle driven towards us.
In Dunedin, there have been about a dozen people camping in the Octagon. Last week there was an issue with some of the protesters using the entrance ways to some of the nearby businesses as toilets.
Student parties
Student parties have been a problem in Dunedin, and police have done a lot of work reminding students what the Covid-19 Red traffic light setting involves.
As expected with the number of people arriving in Dunedin, Covid-19 has got into the student parties, which has had an impact on activities during Flo Week.
Some parties have been postponed, which was a good move, but a recent party in London St had around 300 people and there have been some first-year student gatherings of between 300 and 500 in the Northern Cemetery area and Union St.
It does seem some of the senior students have taken it on board that now is not the time and they have put their plans on hold.
A Castle St party on February 12 and Castle St and Howe St parties on February 14 are locations of interest.
