Police have arrested three people allegedly participating in a lockdown protest in Christchurch and two others in the Far North accused of refusing to wear a mask in public.
"While the actions of these five people are disappointing, police continue to see a high level of compliance from New Zealanders under alert level 4," Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said in a statement announcing the arrests.
Those arrested in Christchurch include a 56-year-old woman and two men, aged 50 and 46. They have been charged with failing to comply with a direction/prohibition/restriction (Covid-19) and are expected to appear in court tomorrow morning.
Police said the trio were among a group of 10 protesters who gathered on the Bridge of Remembrance around 1pm. Everyone in the group was first encouraged to comply with alert level restrictions before police resorted to making arrests, Coster said.
Two people at the same location were issued warnings yesterday during a similar gathering, authorities said.
Just 30 minutes earlier on Thursday, a woman, 23, and a man, 44, were arrested at a Kaitaia Pak'nSave, in the North Island.
Police said the pair were acting "in a disorderly manner toward supermarket staff and other members of the public". Both also refused to wear a mask at the store, police said.
They were charged with disorderly behaviour and breaching the Public Health Response Act. Police also accused the woman of behaving in a threatening manner.
