New Zealand police have been attacked by anti-mandate protesters after ordering demonstrators off parliament’s lawns in Wellington.

The Convoy 2022 NZ group have camped outside parliament for the past two nights after travelling to the capital to protest the government’s COVID-19 response.

The convoy began from the northern tip of North Island and the southernmost town of South Island on Sunday, growing in number on the way and reaching Wellington on Tuesday for a largely respectful, if boisterous, rally.

However, they didn’t leave at day’s end, camping on the grounds in defiance of parliamentary rules and leaving cars on roads blocking traffic.

Three protesters were arrested on Wednesday, including one who attempted to perform a citizen’s arrest of Health Minister Andrew Little.

By Thursday, the situation had become untenable and Speaker Trevor Mallard ordered the grounds closed in an attempt to restore order.

An extra 100 police – on top of the dozens already on the scene – attended parliament, where protesters linked arms and resisted being moved on.

NZ media outlets reported officers were punched and kicked by protested in ongoing scuffles through the day, producing over 50 arrests by 11.30am.

“Police have appealed repeatedly to protesters to leave the grounds and have begun evicting people from the precinct,” Superintendent Corrie Parnell said.

“Police acknowledges people’s right to protest. This needs to be conducted in a way that do not unfairly impact on the wider public.”

The Wellington City Council has also begun ticketing vehicles left unlawfully blocking streets around parliament.

“Wellingtonians have the right to conduct their lives and go about their business without the interference of ongoing unlawful activity,” Ms Parnell said.

As of 4pm, hundreds of protesters remain on the lawns, claiming victory in their resistance of the officers, singing the national anthem as well as Kiwi classics like Slice of Heaven by Dave Dobbyn.

The protest appears muddled, with some protesting vaccine mandates, others opposing vaccines generally and others protesting other government policies.

They are united in their opposition to the police, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who is regularity abused by speakers and in signs among the group.

One protester wrote in their social media group “When we win I want to eat Nieve (sic)”, a reference to Ms Ardern’s daughter.

Parliamentarians have given the protests a wide berth, with no sitting MPs visiting or praising the protest.

Ms Ardern, who was not at parliament on Thursday, did not call for protesters to leave on Wednesday, leaving it in the hands of police, but on Thursday agreed the protest should be wound down.

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