Frontline police officers attempting to control the ongoing Wellington protest outside Parliament have been ordered to stop carrying batons.
In a statement shortly after 2pm today, Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell addressed images circulating widely of officers carrying batons while monitoring the protest.
"Earlier today several staff were noted to be carrying batons. That was not in line with current approach and staff have now removed this equipment," Parnell said.
"It is important to note that police on Parliament grounds continue to take a measured approach.
"Images and videos shared online often do not provide the full context of the protest activity and the difficult situation police staff face."
Several hundred people are still gathered on the front lawn of Parliament singing and dancing among the dozens of tents still erected, despite a trespass notice being served.
It is the fourth day the anti-mandate protesters have been gathered on the Parliament lawns.
Police have not yet moved into the crowd as they did yesterday, and no new arrests have been made.
Speakers have urged protesters to remain peaceful and keep themselves safe should police move again to make arrests.
Parnell said in today's statement police were having to deal with children being brought to the protest.
"Police are also concerned that people are encouraging children be brought to the protest site to support their efforts," he said.
At this stage police are monitoring and attempting to contain the protest activity.
"Police have identified a range of different causes and motivations among the protesters, making it difficult to open clear and meaningful lines of communication," Parnell said.
"Misinformation, particularly on social media, has been identified as an issue.
The Wellington District Commander also reinforced the obligations protesters who are arrested must abide by.
"Under the Policing Act 2008, anyone arrested and taken into police custody is required to provide their name, age, date of birth and address," Parnell said.
"They must also let police take their photograph and fingerprints. It is an offence not to comply with these requests."
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" were expecting more people to join their ranks across the day.
One told an 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
