Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Prime Minister says protesters targeting her van was 'just another day'

Diplomatic Protection Service officers stand by the car.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says an incident that saw her vehicle targeted by protesters was "just another day".

During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Ardern addressed an incident when her vehicle was targeted by hostile protesters in Paihia.

Videos shared online show the group yelling abuse at a vehicle they believed contained Jacinda Ardern, as officers with the Diplomatic Protection Service stand guard.

Diplomatic Protection Service officers stand by the car.

"Shame on you!" a voice cries out, adding: "We do not consent. Ngāpuhi does not consent!"

However, a Ngāpuhi spokesperson has cast doubt on suggestions the iwi is linked to the protest.

One of the group filming says: "There's Jacinda" and another claims the PM is "hiding in the van".

Ardern said she was never concerned about her safety at the time.

"We are in an environment that does have an intensity to it, which is unusual for New Zealand."

"Just another day," was how summed up her van being targeted by protesters in the Bay of Islands.

"At no point was worried about my safety, or safety of people with me," she said.

There are 10 new Omicron cases today - part of 25 Covid-19 cases reported in the community by the Ministry of Health.

The new cases bring the total number of Omicron infections in the cluster to 29.

The video, shot on the waterfront in Paihia and posted to social media last week, shows the Mercedes V-Class attempt to pull out onto the main road, taking to the footpath to avoid a car attempting to block it in.

The video, shot from inside the vehicle that attempted to block the Government car, then shows the group following the Mercedes through Paihia as they joke about being arrested.

A woman in the car pursuing says: "Oh this is fun! We're on a chase", before a man says the group just wanted "a few words" with Jacinda Ardern.

"We're in pursuit for the Prime Minister," they joke as they follow the Mercedes 7-seater.

Approached by the Herald, a Ngāpuhi spokesperson noted: "Our observations from Waitangi in the weekend suggest the majority of the protesters were European, so perhaps you could get their whakaaro [opinion]?"

The spokesperson added that iwi in the region has previously made their support for vaccination clear, pointing to an online declaration that states: "Our Iwi collectively stand together in our call for all of our uri and individuals - living inside or outside our tribal territories - to have the Covid-19 vaccination as soon as possible."

Some online believed that the group had got away easy after the stunt, noting that the response would have been very different in most overseas jurisdictions.

Another said that protests targeting the PM were "getting out of hand".