Eva888: Normally the trend is you don’t negotiate with pirates or kidnappers however these protesters are neither and many are citizens who probably voted in and supported the government...but the horse has now well and truly bolted away from the original mandate protest. Big mistake not engaging a few days into the protest instead of taking the lofty approach.

When you get the owner of The Backbencher and the Mayor of Wellington having a meeting with a few out the back of the pub to help resolve the problem, and then Winston Peters who was the reason this government got into power, coming down from Auckland to meet the protestors...it’s staring to look like a bit of a comedy.

I really think it’s time our leader climbs down and attempts to take back the reins before further alternative factions join in. It's good to remember that the protestors know there's safety in numbers, and those numbers can grow very quickly.

Nope. You don't negotiate with people who behave like this. They know where they stand, the ball is in their court.

If you were Jacinda would you negotiate with morons like this? Even with a noose hanging around there with your name on it?

Winston has nothing to lose and obviously doesn't care, but I bet if he was in Parliament still he would sing a different tune. I think he only did it for attention, I feel he's quite irrelevant now (in politics anyway).

It would be an irreparable mistake to compromise in any way. The rule of law and our system of democracy are under attack here. Giving the demonstrators any whiff of victory just lowers the bar for the next time a group feels disgruntled about government policy. We have a democracy. The way to bring about change is to campaign and vote in the next election. It is not to shit on public property.

quickymart:

 

I feel he's quite irrelevant now (in politics anyway).

 

Gee, I've only been hearing that for 20 years.

Don't underestimate his ability to change what he supports or doesn't in order to get a vote. He has promised all sorts of nonsense to those less fortunate who are easily swayed by such things, and got himself elected many times before.

quickymart:

If you were Jacinda would you negotiate with morons like this? Even with a noose hanging around there with your name on it?

Winston has nothing to lose and obviously doesn't care, but I bet if he was in Parliament still he would sing a different tune. I think he only did it for attention, I feel he's quite irrelevant now (in politics anyway).

networkn:

 

quickymart:

 

I feel he's quite irrelevant now (in politics anyway).

 

 

Gee, I've only been hearing that for 20 years.

 

Don't underestimate his ability to change what he supports or doesn't in order to get a vote. He has promised all sorts of nonsense to those less fortunate who are easily swayed by such things, and got himself elected many times before.

 

That's true, but he is getting on a bit now. Maybe worded differently: I don't feel he carries as much clout as he used to (although maybe still some).

quickymart:

 

That's true, but he is getting on a bit now. Maybe worded differently: I don't feel he carries as much clout as he used to (although maybe still some).

 

If you promise enough outrageous things, you can get 5% pretty easily. This puts him potentially back in the decision-makers chair.

Daynger:

 

they had already had a whip around to get $40000 for remediating the parliament lawns and reseeding them etc.

 

It's going to cost a lot more than $40,000 to clear up that mess. Try adding a zero.

networkn:

 

If you promise enough outrageous things, you can get 5% pretty easily. This puts him potentially back in the decision-makers chair.

 

Maori party propose pretty ridiculous things and hover around 1%. His best chance is to win a seat but I don't think NZ First exist any more do they?

SJB:

 

networkn:

 

If you promise enough outrageous things, you can get 5% pretty easily. This puts him potentially back in the decision-makers chair.

 

 

Maori party propose pretty ridiculous things and hover around 1%. His best chance is to win a seat but I don't think NZ First exist any more do they?

 

Yep, they do. https://www.nzfirst.nz/ I think W R Peters is still their leader.

First part of media release from police.

 

Police update on the protest

 

 

 

Police have sent a statement to media, providing an update on the protest. Here's what it says:

 

 

 

Police have continued to see a decrease in the number of vehicles and people at the protest area today.

 

Police set up additional cordons

 

 

 

Activity appears to be ramping up again at Parliament.

 

 

 

Police have set up additional cordons along Bowen St at the terrace end, after cars appeared to make it past a cordon. 

 

 

 

More cars managed to enter the protest via Molesworth St after a bollard appeared to have been moved, a woman spoken to by a Stuff reporter said.

The nicest people never endure a small discomfort for sake of anyone.
What would Jesus do ? 

Hospital visitors associated with protest 'escorted' from premises
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/wellington/woman-recovering-in-hospital-surrounded-by-maskless-visitors-associated-with-protest/

""
A woman recovering in Wellington Regional Hospital was brought to tears after spending hours in the same room as anti-mandate protesters who refused to wear masks. 

The woman who did not want to be named was in hospital at the end of last week following major surgery. 
""

Eva888:

The Mayor managed to meet with the protesters yesterday and come out unscathed. I think it's time to have dialogue and try to find a solution because the longer it's left there are more opportunists turning up for a free feed and a place for camaraderie and you will have every homeless person joining in with the original lot. The mix is soon going to become an untenable political and human debacle.

PM has done the right thing. This isn't just a protest, it's an illegal occupation of our parliamentary precinct, with some people in the crowd making threats against MPs, journalists and the PM herself specifically. There's no way that should be legitimised by the PM meeting with them. 

I have many, many things to say about the last five years under PM Ardern, but her handling of this, which is to call it for what it is and refuse to engage, is 100% correct.

ezbee: [NewsTalkZB] A woman recovering in Wellington Regional Hospital was brought to tears after spending hours in the same room as anti-mandate protesters who refused to wear masks.The woman who did not want to be named was in hospital at the end of last week following major surgery.

That's just outrageously stupid blatantly endangering people like that. I'd like to see charges for that. The hospital will have security footage. Maybe this group are followers of the unvaccinated can infect people just as easily as vaccinated people omicron theory. Nasty.