Faced with sprinklers, New Zealand anti-vaccine mandate protesters dig trenches

The protest is modelled on the anti-vaccine protests in Canada that have crippled Ottawa for the last two weeks and have recently blocked the land border crossing in Windsor.

New Zealand anti-vaccine mandate protesters have dug mini trenches across parliament grounds, after the sprinklers were turned on overnight in an attempt to force them to leave.

The protest, now entering its fifth day in the capital, Wellington, is modelled on the anti-vaccine protests in Canada that have crippled Ottawa for the last two weeks and have recently blocked the land border crossing in Windsor.

And protesters in New Zealand appear to be drawing heavily on inspiration from their North American counterparts, with Canadian flags being held aloft on parliament grounds and draped across the front of trucks.

“It’s very odd to see the Canadian flag being used in protests,” New Zealand political scientist Dr. Bryce Edwards tells Global News from Wellington.

“But for some of the protesters, the Canadian flag is now a symbol of anti-vaccination mandates, and so they are embracing it.”

New Zealand’s protest began with a so-called “trucker convoy” as well — with various travelling through the country’s two main islands before meeting up in Wellington — though social media users reported seeing few trucks, and mostly passenger vehicles.

Protesters have been camped out on parliament grounds since Tuesday, despite facing strong resistance from police.

According to local media, at least 122 protesters have been arrested so far, after police on Thursday (NZ time) moved in to remove tents from parliament’s lawn and to remove illegally-parked vehicles blocking Wellington streets. Many, however, stood firm and refused to leave.