Clashes erupted in New Zealand’s capital yesterday between police and anti-vaccine protesters who have been gathering outside parliament for three days.
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The police intervened to disperse this gathering and dismantle the impromptu camp set up near the parliament building in Wellington.
During the clashes, activists shouted “Hold the positions” in the face of the advancing police. More than 120 people were arrested.
Some agents received beatings while being insulted by slogans such as “This is not democracy”, “Shame on you” or “Abandon the obligation”.
The authorities closed the parliament building, which happens very rarely, to prevent protesters from receiving reinforcements.
The evacuation might take days, according to Wellington Police Commander Corrie Parnell. He also accuses activists of using children as human shields to keep the police away.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said that residents’ patience with the disruption caused by this mobilization was exhausted.
“The streets of the city are blocked, businesses have had to close, people feel threatened and intimidated by some protesters,” he told Radio New Zealand, ahead of the police action.
Residents of the capital have complained of being attacked for wearing a mask and several businesses near the parliament have had to close because their employees asked to check health passports.
A CONVOY TO THE SUPER BOWL
In addition to echoing all the way to New Zealand, the Canadian freedom convoy has also given ideas to its American counterparts, who plan to come and disrupt the Super Bowl scheduled for this weekend in Los Angeles, California.
This was suggested by the US Department of Homeland Security, which warned authorities that a convoy of truckers opposed to mandatory vaccination once morest COVID-19 might affect the sporting event scheduled for Sunday.
The agency reportedly “received reports of truck drivers planning to potentially block roads in major metropolitan cities across the United States to protest, among other things, the requirement for truck drivers to get vaccinated,” it said. -it was clarified in a bulletin obtained by CNN.
“The convoy will potentially start in California as early as mid-February and arrive in Washington in mid-March, which might impact the Super Bowl scheduled for February 13 and the State of the Union address scheduled for February 1. March”, is it mentioned in the note intended for the local authorities.
READY FOR ANYTHING
Law enforcement and Super Bowl security officials are thus preparing for any possible disruption, according to a federal law enforcement official interviewed by the American chain.
More than 500 people from the Department of Homeland Security are also assigned to the security of the final of the NFL championship, the planning of which is carried out more than a year in advance.
If no call for violence has been associated with this convoy, it might however disrupt transport, but also emergency services and federal government operations.
