![]() Other protestors carried signs unrelated to COVID-19, including some advocating against vaccines and 5G. Many signs labelled New Zealand a police state. It is estimated that over 1,000 protestors were in attendance, including Jami-Lee Ross, Advance New Zealand's other co-leader. The protest was organised by Advance New Zealand co-leader Billy Te Kahika who dubbed it the 'National Rally for Freedom'. On 12 September 2020, anti-lockdown, COVID-19 denying protestors again marched from Aotea Square in Auckland. Some participants objected to wearing masks while others highlighted the financial and emotional damage caused by the lockdown. ![]() ![]() In Rotorua, protesters, many of them claiming to be from the Advanced NZ party, gathered at Te Manawa, the intersection of Hinemoa and Tutanekai Streets. The Auckland protest breached the Alert Level 2.5 ban on gatherings above ten people. The protest in Auckland's Aotea Square was organised by the NZ Liberty Movement, whose Facebook page reported 500 participants. On 5 September, several anti-lockdown protests were held throughout the country including Auckland, Whangārei, Wellington, New Plymouth, Tauranga, Rotorua, Nelson and Christchurch. Most protestors did not wear masks or adhere to social distancing requirements. On 29 August 2020 in Aotea Square, Auckland there was an anti-lockdown, COVID-19 denying, anti-vaccination, anti- United Nations protest, in which 500 people attended including Advance NZ co-leader Jami-Lee Ross and New Conservative Party deputy leader Elliot Ikilei. A minimal amount of attendees wore masks, however all attendees stuck to those that resided with them keeping distance between protestors that did not reside with them. Some attendees also made health claims regarding COVID-19 but did not elaborate. The demonstrators used the handling of COVID-19 in Sweden as an example as what New Zealand should have done, discrediting those who said its handling of COVID-19 was horrible and criticised the government's lockdown policy. On 22 August 2020 in Aotea Square, Auckland there was a COVID-19 anti-lockdown, anti-vaccination, anti- 5G and anti-1080 protest organised by NZ Liberty March in which 150 people attended, the protest was peaceful and there were no significant issues or arrests made. There have been no known arrests in relation to this demonstration, however there was a police presence monitoring the protests to ensure they remained peaceful. Afterwards the two groups combined and continued their demonstration walking along Walton and Dent Street which resulted in cars being stopped at traffic lights and roundabouts. ![]() The two groups held separate marches walking from Forum North to the Whāngarei police station, when they arrived at the police station both groups delivered speeches in regard to the COVID-19 alert levels, Nationwide and Auckland lockdown(s). On 13 August 2020, FACTS NZ and Kotahitanga Movement Aotearoa organised an anti-lockdown protest, that was attended by 60 people including Advance New Zealand co-leader and New Zealand Public Party leader Billy Te Kahika. Most politicians both within and outside of Government and the vast majority of people have condemned these protests and view them as grandstanding by the organisers, and fear they may have spread the virus. There have been several COVID-19 protests in New Zealand held since 2020, where people protested the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, in particular the lockdown measures in place in March–May 2020, August 2020, and August–November 2021 and the later vaccine mandates. Cities that have had reported demonstrations.
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