The Police Commissioner says an anti-mandate protest at Parliament that has caused disruption for eight days is "no longer tenable" and police are upping their response.
He said the occupation that has taken over Parliament's lawn and blocked roads was unreasonably impacting the city.
"While police acknowledge the right to lawfully protest, the effect of this protest activity around the Parliament grounds, on roads, residents, schools and businesses, is no longer tenable.
"Having followed international developments, police considers it unwise to escalate tensions, and we have offered alternatives that would enable the roads to be cleared.
"However, protesters have not taken up the offer and nor have they shown any concern for the negative impact of their activities."
Vehicles that were towed would be seized and not immediately released to those who have failed to move them, Coster said.
"Those who obstruct Police efforts to clear the roads can expect to be arrested and charged.
"By openly communicating our intention we are demonstrating our ongoing willingness to work in good faith to allow lawful and reasonable protest while protecting the interests of others in the area.
"What's clear from international experience is that there is no easy resolution to protests of this nature and the safety of the public and consequences of escalation are a significant factor in our decision making."
The MOC – a joint operation with Wellington District and national staff - would manage and coordinate resourcing, response options, logistics, and health and safety, Coster said.
Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers had been appointed National Controller of the operation, and he would continue to work closely with Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell.
The move comes a day after the movement issued a press release demanding urgent talks with Government ministers. They said they wanted an end to vaccine mandates and other Covid-19 response restrictions.
Earlier on Tuesday, some protesters verbally abused parking wardens ticketing their vehicles on the eighth day of protest. Police were assisting the wardens to ticket the cars - and some protesters were reacting with anger, saying they will refuse to pay them.
Some protesters could be seen removing their number plates and registration to avoid being ticketed. Others have put fake plates on instead.
Asked why they didn't take up the offer to park at Sky Stadium, one protester said it was because their vehicles were part of the community. It was where they slept, prepared food, she said. "If we take these away it takes away what we've built."
Kita, who refused to give her full name, said she had been camping out along Bunny St near Parliament for the past week. She travelled down from Auckland with family, linking up with wider and family and friends. There were about 20 people in their group, from toddlers barely walking to grandparents.
Kita, 21, said she came down to stand up for the rights of her family younger than her, and for any children she might have in the future.
"I don't want any of them getting jabbed without their parents knowing," she said. When pressed that this was not happening, she said she thought it would happen one day and that she didn't trust the Government.
Despite police and parking wardens seeking to move people on and ticket them today, she said they would not be going anywhere. "It's not right, they shouldn't be doing that, because we are here for something important."
The gates to Victoria University of Wellington's Law School building have been locked - with the vehicles still inside them.
It comes as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Government will be looking at how protests operate at Parliament, following more than a week of disruption from the anti-vaccination and anti-mandate protesters.
"It makes sense after an experience like this to look at the way Parliament operates … we need to ensure it's a safe environment."
She said the right to protest needed to be balanced with keeping people in the building safe.
"People who work here have faced abuse, and so have the journalists in front of me," she said.
Ardern said she was receiving regular updates from police on the convoy protest outside Parliament.
"Obviously, we want to make sure their focus is on the operation."
Asked how long she would tolerate the protest lasting, Ardern replied: "That's actually not the question for us. Ultimately, of course, we have protests in this place all time, and we accept that as politicians - but what we've seen out here is something quite different."
Asked if police had lost control and protesters had taken over, Ardern replied: "I would not say that. What they are focused on is ensuring the safety of everyone. It's not just those working in this building, but the surrounding areas."
Ardern said police would address concerns about intimidation of people and businesses.
The Prime Minister was asked if Speaker Trevor Mallard told her about his plans to turn on sprinklers and play music at the protests outside Parliament.
Ardern said any communications she had with Mallard were in her capacity as leader of the Labour Party, just as Christopher Luxon would talk with the Speaker in his capacity as National Party leader.
"The actions that the Speaker takes is entirely at his discretion," Ardern said in response to a question from Act deputy leader Brooke van Velden during question time in Parliament.
Ardern said she understood the Speaker was in contact with police about the protest.
Meanwhile, protesters are being treated to a new form of entertainment - Parliament TV.
Just after 3pm, a live account of what's happening inside the building they're parked outside was being streamed through the loudspeakers set up by Mallard.
Over the weekend, Mallard ordered music and Covid-19 ads blasted from the speakers to try and make life "uncomfortable" for those in the camp.
This latest move hasn't been welcomed by the crowd, with protesters yelling and cheering as Megan Woods addressed the house.
Protesters also now have several loudspeakers of their own going, trying to drown out the sound of Parliament being played live out over the grounds.
Woman dragged from protest naked by her hair says she felt 'safe'
In a speech to the waiting crowd on Tuesday, the woman who made headlines for being dragged from the protest naked by police says officers were "very kind" to her.
She said while she "definitely didn't want to be naked" she felt safe.
"My sister Sharon was meditating beside me. Breathing was what got me through. I did have a panic attack when I saw the cubicle I was going to, but a nice officer helped calm me down."
"They were very kind to me in custody considering how cheeky I was."
The woman went viral for her arrest, during which she was dragged by her hair by police.
When asked why she was naked, she said, "In my experience at other occupation and seeing wahine take their clothes off, it worked."
"We greased up with coconut oil," she laughed, adding that before her arrest she had been "throwing" her naked body at them to make them back off.
"I would do a bit of twerking."
The crowd on Parliament's lawn continues to grow under the Wellington sun, as the Covid-19 anti-mandate protest enters its second week.
These camped on the front lawn of Parliament woke up to calm and still conditions on day eight of their sit-in, and have been joined by hundreds more throughout the morning.
They appear to have largely ignored a police offer of free parking on Monday night, which invited those unlawfully parked to move their vehicles to Sky Stadium.
On Tuesday, only a handful of vehicles from the protest had been shifted to the stadium. Regardless of the low uptake, the carpark will be kept open to protesters for at least a few more days.
Meanwhile, Wellington City Council has issued about 180 parking tickets in the area of the protest over the past week.
Council spokesman Richard MacLean said just one ticket has been paid.
Vehicles parked on the footpath were slapped with a $40 fine and those parked on broken yellow lines were issued with a $60 fine.
Tickets were also issued on the grounds of "parking inconsiderately", MacLean said.
Parking wardens issued the tickets with police at their side.
"Obviously we are concerned about the safety of our staff," MacLean said.
While no further tickets have been issued this week, the council is keeping its options open, MacLean said.
