‘Give Us Back 2018’: Thousands In New Zealand Are Protesting Against PM Jacinda Ardern’s Covid-19 Rules

<p dir="ltr"><strong>New Delhi:</strong> New Zealand is witnessing massive protests against the government, with the people demanding a rollback of the vaccine mandates, restrictions, and lockdowns imposed to control the pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr">After thousands of protesters, mostly unmasked people, gathered outside the country&rsquo;s parliament building after marching through Wellington city, the authorities beefed up security measures Tuesday, Reuters reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">All but two entrances to the parliament building, known as the Beehive, were closed off.</p> <p dir="ltr">People were seen shouting slogans and holding placards with messages that read "Freedom" and "Kiwis are not lab rats", the report said.</p> <p dir="ltr">There were also placards that showed support to former US President Donald Trump.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others slammed Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with slogans such as "Pro Choice, Anti Jacinda". There were also placards that read "Media Lies" and "Media Treason".</p> <p dir="ltr">"I will not be coerced and I will not be forced into taking something I don't want in my body," Reuters quoted a protester outside the parliament building as saying.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm asking (the government) to give us back 2018."</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Pressure On PM Jacinda Ardern To Ease Restrictions</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">While 125 new cases were reported on Tuesday, New Zealand with a population of 5 million still has among the world&rsquo;s lowest Covid-19 cases. It has reported fewer than 8,000 cases and 32 deaths so far.&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">However, this has come with strict lockdown measures and restrictions.&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">In Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand, residents were given stay-at-home orders in mid-August. And the restrictions would remain until the end of November, Ardern indicated this week, according to an AFP report.</p> <p dir="ltr">She has promised to end lockdowns once 90 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. However, those unvaccinated will continue to face curbs on employment, travel, etc.</p> <p dir="ltr">Struggling to contain the highly infectious Delta variant this year, New Zealand has changed its strategies from staying safe through lockdowns to living with the virus by scaling up vaccinations.</p> <p dir="ltr">The country has already vaccinated nearly 80 percent of its eligible population with both doses.</p> <p dir="ltr">In October, Ardern said teachers and workers in the health and disability sectors must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. This didn&rsquo;t go down well with people who called for more freedoms and wanted a rollback of mandatory vaccine requirements.</p> <p dir="ltr">Asked about the government's decision on mandating the vaccine, a protester said: "Treat us like people!"</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to the media inside parliament, Ardern, however, said: "What we saw today was not representative of the vast bulk of New Zealanders."</p> <p dir="ltr">With the Christmas holidays approaching, the PM is also facing growing political pressure to ease pandemic measures.</p> <p dir="ltr">She is expected to face more protests in Auckland during her planned visit Wednesday, Reuters reported.</p>

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