Police at the southern Auckland border. Photo / Mike Scott
Police at the southern Auckland border. Photo / Mike Scott
OPINION:
A date must be set when New Zealand will leave the lockdown system and open up again.
The fractured state we find ourselves in is not healthy for a number of reasons and we are starting to see levels of unease among the community grow each day.
Overnight Tuesday,a convoy of around 50 vehicles carrying about 100 people set out from Rotorua bound for Northland and arrived at Auckland's southern checkpoint border in Mercer just before midnight.
Two protest vehicles, including a bus, remain parked on State Highway 1 in the northbound lanes with the drivers refusing to move them as of yesterday afternoon. Traffic was being diverted around them and police were attempting to get the drivers to move them off the road.
Police have lambasted the behaviour of anti-lockdown hīkoi members who have blocked the highway and risked public safety. Police say they are "incredibly disappointed".
The group claim to be heading to Waitangi - but have been told they are not welcome there by local Māori leaders. Tai Tokerau Border Control founder Hone Harawira has described the hīkoi as "a scam".
Participants of the Sovereign Hīkoi of Truth (SHOT) were stopped by Police at Auckland's southern covid border overnight Tuesday. Photo / Mike Scott
"There is no invitation from Waitangi Marae, no invitation from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, no invitation from Ngāti Kawa or Ngāti Rahiri, and no invitation from Ngāpuhi."
These protesters are achieving nothing by proving themselves to be a nuisance at the border. All they are doing is wasting valuable police resources.
They do not know the pain those in Auckland are experiencing, who are yet to leave alert level 3 or 4 since the Delta outbreak began in August. Do everyone some good and go home.
Kiwis everywhere appear to be sick of Covid-19 and everything that comes with it - the lockdowns, managed isolation, businesses crippled, family members unable to visit loved ones, and even being barred from enjoying more simple things like having a boogie on the dance floor after a few tipples of their favourite brew.
Last week New Zealand was introduced to the tricky 90 per cent district health board vaccination rate, vaccination passport and traffic light system, but what we really need is the Government to set a date for the nation to open up, regardless of vaccination rates across the country.
Police at the southern Auckland border. Photo / Mike Scott
Of course, it would be beneficial for rates to be as high as possible, such as those in the 90 per cent realm, but with people deadset against the vaccine protesting up and down the country, those who are vaccinated are only being punished by the stubborn unvaccinated types.
Time is running out before the full effect of the Delta variant takes hold of the country and everyone who is eligible for the vaccine just needs to get on with it, roll up their sleeves and get jabbed.
