New Zealand authorities deploy Barry Manilow against Covid protesters
New Zealand authorities have deployed Barry Manilow against protesters at its parliament, playing his greatest hits at hundreds camped out over coronavirus restrictions.
The protest began when a convoy of trucks and cars drove to parliament from across the country, inspired by protests in Canada. At first there were more than 1,000 protesters but that number dwindled as the week wore on before growing again on Saturday.
The parliament speaker, Trevor Mallard, on Saturday said he had authorised the use of a sound system to blast out vaccine messages, decadesold Barry Manilow songs and the 1990s earworm hit Macarena on a repeat loop.
Protesters responded by playing their own tunes, including Twisted Sister’s We’re Not Gonna Take It. Police have been taking a more hands-off approach after a number of physical confrontations when they moved in on protesters, including an incident that was filmed and went viral of two female officers dragging a naked woman by her hair. But by Friday, Mallard had changed tack and told staff to turn on water sprinklers overnight.
“No one who is here is here legally, and if they’re getting wet from below as well as above, they’re likely to be a little bit less comfortable and more likely to go home,” Mallard said, according to the news website Stuff. He told media he had also ordered the sound system into operation. Among the protesters’ grievances is the requirement in New Zealand that certain workers get vaccinated against Covid-19, including teachers, doctors, nurses, police and military personnel. Many protesters also oppose mask mandates, such as those in shops and for children over about eight years old in classrooms.
Parliament’s grounds have often been the site of peaceful protests, although mass campouts are unusual. Typically at least some politicians will come out to listen to the concerns of protesters, but politicians reconvening at parliament after a summer break were in rare unison in not acknowledging the protesters.
New Zealand was spared the worst of the pandemic after it closed its borders and implemented strict lockdowns, limiting the spread of the virus. The nation has reported 53 virus deaths among its population of 5 million.
But some have grown weary of the restrictions. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, last week said the country would end its quarantine requirements for incoming travellers in stages as it reopened its borders. With about 77% of New Zealanders vaccinated, Ardern has also promised she will not impose further lockdowns.