The Premium Debate: Subscribers have their say on Wellington protest editorial

Anti mandate protests at Parliament in Wellington. Photo / NZME

OPINION

Taupo & Turangi Weekender editor David Beck gives his opinion on the anti-mandate protesters in Wellington, saying everyone has the right to protest but when you start interfering with the livelihoods of others, you've gone too far.

Read the full story: David Beck: Freedom or freedumb? I've had enough of the vocal minority

Have your say by going to bayofplentytimes.co.nz or rotoruadailypost.co.nz and becoming a Premium subscriber.

Sadly this Govt think that enforcing vaccines, using mandates and changing targets is acceptable. Worse still is when this extends from the individual, to the workplace and then into social well-being. I am fully vaccinated but I would envisage most NZLrs will now be aware of someone in their family, a friend or associate who have been directly negatively impacted by the 'mandates' vaccinated or not. The damage is becoming somewhat insurmountable and for this, the Govt should be held totally to account.

Keith T

FYI the mandates were necessary to protect people, whanau, communities and our health system, and as an incentive to get vaccinated. Vaccines are our best protection from severe hospitalisation. They are supported by over 98 per cent of health professionals. These people are ignoring best health advice to get vaccinated and need to own the consequences of their foolish choices. The only change needed is that vaccine passports should only be valid for boosted eligible people and expire for those who don't get boosted when eligible.

Jason P

I think you also forget that while 95 per cent are vaccinated, a good percentage of them did it because they risked losing their job not to do it. So it's not 95 per cent that were happy to get it.

Stu R

The 10 per cent - or less - of people who are unvaccinated put the rest of us vaccinated 90 per cent at risk? Far out. Hard to believe.

Elizabeth W

I think we would all agree that the anti-mandate people most certainly have the right to protest. But they do not have the right to block up the streets around parliament, interfere with the rights of residents to conduct their lives and behave so intimidatingly around Wellington businesses that they have to shut. They are holding the citizens of Wellington to ransom and because of this their demands are unreasonable and they cannot be engaged with.

John B

Well, for a bunch of people who expound freedom they are doing a pretty good job of denying freedom by closing down the streets to law abiding people who want to go about their lives with freedom of movement.

James B

The majority of Kiwis are humble and team players for the 5 million. I think of these protesters as bullies in a karate kid movie. Jacinda should definitely not meet with this shower.

Maurice W

It's rather simplistic to try and call the protest antivax. I think if you focus on the protest minorities you can make it seem ugly. If you took a more holistic view you would find a wide cross section of society deeply uncomfortable with how we are being managed by the Government ... and widespread national support for what the protest stands for.

Andrew A

Republished comments may be edited at the editor's discretion.