Jacinda Ardern snaps over disgusting act at 'freedom' protest
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has slammed Covid protestors for throwing faeces at police officers.
More than 1000 protesters have occupied the country’s parliament lawns and surrounding streets in Wellington for the last two weeks as part of the Convoy 2022 NZ movement.
The protest's central demand is the removal of all vaccine mandates.
On Monday morning, police said a handful of protesters threw human excrement on officers in retaliation for them placing concrete barricades on CBD streets.
Seven officers were injured in the pre-dawn police operation.
Ms Ardern, who has repeatedly pleaded with the group to leave, hit out at the protestors responsible during a press conference, adding that she has “absolute support” for the police, Stuff.co.nz reports.
"No one should have to face having human waste thrown at them when they are just trying to keep people safe," she said.
"The protesters have made their point, it is time for them to leave."
Police Commissioner Andy Coster said offenders would be "held to account".
"Deliberately infecting someone with disease is a serious offence punishable by 14 years imprisonment. Likewise attempting to do so attracts a significant penalty," he said.
"We invite anyone with information about who is responsible to come forward."
New Zealand to lift Covid mandates
Ms Ardern’s comments come after she revealed many Covid mandates will be lifted after the Omicron wave is "well past its peak" in March and the health system was not under strain.
"Based on modelling of overseas experiences, in three to six weeks we'll likely see that peak. What we will be looking for is a clear indication that we are on the other side of it," she said.
Ms Ardern said she was not giving a set time frame for the rollback of the vaccine pass and mandate system because of the lengthy protest.
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"Everyone is over Covid. No one wants to live with rules or restrictions," she said.
"We all want to go back to the way life was. And we will, I suspect sooner than you think.
"When that happens, it will be because easing restrictions won't compromise the lives of thousands of people — not because you demanded it.
"Now is not the time to dismantle our hard work and preparation, to remove our armour just as the battle begins."
New Zealand's Covid hospitalisations rise
New Zealand recorded 2365 community cases and the first Covid-related deaths in more than a month on Monday.
Two people have died in Auckland hospitals with the virus, bringing the country’s death toll to 55.
One of the deceased was an Auckland City Hospital patient in their 70s, the other was a patient at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland.
Monday's case count is a small drop from Sunday's record tally of 2522.
However, the number of Kiwis in hospital with Covid continues to rise, as it has done every day for the past fortnight.
As of Monday, there are 116 people in hospital with the virus, including one in intensive care.
With AAP
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