- If you can't see the above livestream, click here.
Additional police officers have been brought into Wellington as authorities crack down on anti-vaccine mandate protesters camped out on Parliament's front lawn.
A total of 122 people have so far been arrested after demonstrators swarmed the precinct on Tuesday, used their vehicles to block surrounding streets, set up tents and promised to stay at the site for days.
Police say the number of protesters on Parliament's grounds has reduced significantly, but many still remain on Friday morning. Superintendent Corrie Parnell said on Thursday that it may take days to remove the demonstrators.
What you need to know:
- There were a record 446 new community cases in New Zealand on Friday.
- Location of new community cases: Northland (16), Auckland (340), Waikato (48), Bay of Plenty (14), Lakes (13), Taranaki (1), Hutt Valley (7), Capital and Coast (4), Southern (3)
- Of the 23 people in hospital on Friday: two in North shore, 10 in Middlemore, eight in Auckland City, one in Christchurch, and two in Rotorua.
- Tensions remain high outside Parliament as a face-off between protesters and police shows no signs of subsiding.
- Police said on Thursday night that 122 people have so far been arrested, many for trespass and obstruction
- Uniformed parking wardens accompanied by police officers have begun ticketing cars outside Parliament.
These live updates have now closed.
9:15pm - A new statement from police, who say they are continuing to work through the complexities of the protest activity at Parliament grounds on Friday night.
"There have been no arrests today," says Superintendent Corrie Parnell, Wellington District Commander.
"Trying to engage with key protest group leaders has been ineffective due to the vast array of interest groups and their conflicts with each other.
"Police will maintain a highly visibile (sic) presence at Parliament grounds overnight.
"Molesworth Street remains blocked by over 100 vehicles including large trucks, campervans and cars.
"Police are working on options to work with tow truck companies to have the vehicles removed, however there have been concerns from tow-truck operators, who have been threatened by protesters.
"Police sympathise with their position and we are exploring our options.
"A number of additional tents and marquees have appeared on the grounds today and Police are again urging protesters to remove them.
"We are also working with the council to address the food trucks and other facilities that have been set up in the vicinity.
"Police note the weather is due to be inclement throughout the weekend, making conditions challenging for our staff and protesters.
"The blocked roads are extremely disruptive to both businesses and the public, free and safe movement around the city continues to be our priority.
"Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area over the weekend."
8:50pm - COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Invercargill and Gore, according to the Southern DHB.
Both cases recently visited Queenstown and are currently isolating at home.
They will be added to tomorrow's COVID-19 numbers.
8pm - Victoria University politics lecturer Bryce Edwards has shared a video of the scenes outside Parliament as the light fades on day four.
It looks as though the protesters have dug trenches in the Beehive's front lawn and diverted the water coming out of the sprinkler into them. Makeshift bridges have been constructed to help demonstrators cross the streams.
It's becoming increasingly clear that a huge clean-up job will be required once this protest is finally over.
7pm - After 446 new cases across the country on Friday, University of Auckland modeller Dion O'Neale says we're playing catch-up after slow testing numbers over the long weekend.
"We're clearing the backlog of the people who didn't get tested over Waitangi weekend, and so those tests take a while to come through and we're going to see an extra little bump probably on account of that," he said.
O'Neale says next week we're likely to hit our first 1000 daily cases.
6:20pm - A person can be heard telling protesters to stop digging up and covering sprinklers, which have been turned on all over Parliament's front lawn in an attempt to discourage demonstrators from staying the night.
Speaker Trevor Mallard says they will be left on all night - that's despite a sprinkler ban being in place across the Wellington region.
The covers are causing water to pool on the lawn.
5:20pm - "Peace! Choice! Freedom! Stop the mandates!" is the latest chant to ring out.
Still plenty of energy and enthusiasm among the crowd despite day four dragging to a close and the inclement weather. Other protesters near the barrier can still be seen remonstrating and debating with police officers.
4:50pm - "When will we leave?" a speaker at the protest asks the crowd after a speech about maintaining unity in the fight against mandates.
"Never!" they repeatedly shout back.
4:30pm - Microbiologist Dr Siouxie Wiles has offered some advice following the sharp rise in new COVID-19 cases over the past two days.
There were 306 new cases yesterday and 446 today.
In a tweet Wiles said people should get boosted when eligible, wear a mask and scan in.
4:10pm - The Air NZ lounge at Queenstown Airport is the latest high-risk location of interest. For more information click here.
3:50pm - People over the age of 18 are being encouraged to put aside a little time this weekend to join the close to 600,000 Aucklanders who have now received their booster dose.
All community vaccination centres are open and there are multiple pop-up events, big and small, taking place right across the city, including a large tamariki-focussed event being held at a south Auckland marae.
NRHCC director of operations, Matt Hannant, says with Omicron cases in the community rising, it’s vital that people who are due for their booster dose receive it as soon as possible.
"There is plenty of capacity for those who had their second dose at least three months ago to get their booster at all vaccination sites, as well as at pop-up events.
"With close to 400 vaccinating GPs and pharmacies across the city, many Aucklanders have been opting to head to their local GP or pharmacy to get their booster. They have also been choosing to bring along their tamariki aged 5 to 11 to get their first dose."
"Tomorrow, parents and caregivers of tamariki at 27 local schools are being encouraged to head along to an event at Manurewa Marae. We’ve worked through these schools to provide parents and caregivers with the information they need to feel confidence in making this decision for their tamariki."
A number of other similar events are planned over the next few weeks.
Whānau can also head along to the following events this weekend:
- Glen Innes Campervan, Fri 11 Feb, 9am-2pm, Pak'n'Save, 182 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes
- Youth Horizon - Pop-Up, Sat 12 Feb, 9:30am-4:30pm, 3 Rata Street, New Lynn
- Softball - Rosedale Pop-up, Sat 12 Feb, 9am - 2pm, 1 Jack Hinton Drive, Rosedale
- St Marys Mackillop Drive Through, Sat 12 Feb, 10am - 2pm, 10-12 McNaughton Ave, Māngere
- Free Church of Tonga - Mounga 'Olive Pop-up, Sat 12 Feb, 8:30am-5pm, 47 Favona Road, Māngere
- Manurewa School & Community Event, Sat 12 Feb, 10am-3pm, Manurewa Marae, 81 Finlayson Ave, Clendon Park
- Port Waikato Drive Through, Sat 12 Feb, 9am-3pm, 21A Stack Road, Port Waikato
- Yes - Youth with Disabilities Event, Mon 14 Feb, 2pm - 5pm, Shore Junction
- Wesley Primary School Drive Through, Mon 14 Feb, 9am - 2pm, 24 Potter Avenue, Mt Roskill
This information is also available on the website: vaccinateforauckland.nz
3:20pm - And in some COVID-19 news, which won't please many of those protesting in Wellington, New Zealand has reached a milestone of 10 million COVID-19 vaccines administered, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today.
"This afternoon at around 2pm, the 10 millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was administered. This has been helped by a big surge in boosters and a healthy uptake in tamariki aged 5 to 11 years old having their first paediatric dose," Hipkins said.
"The number on its own tells a great story. But it's what it signifies for the people in our country that’s the most important factor.
"Ten million vaccines, including more than 1.7 million boosters, means our communities already have a good level of protection against Omicron – with more to come. Every single one of our DHBs has now reached 90 per cent of their population having received at least one vaccine dose.
"Kiwis have really pulled together to protect each other with 95 per cent of people aged over 12 now fully vaccinated – one of the highest rates in the world. Sixty-one per cent of people over 18 who are due for a booster have already had one – and this is climbing quickly.
"This is a major logistical achievement and the milestone is testament to the DHBs, hundreds of pharmacies, GPs, hauora, community providers and mobile clinics and other sites that have given the vaccine to everyone from our old to our young.
"The advocates and workers on the ground who work with those in our hardest-to-reach communities also deserve huge recognition.
"But of course, it’s the people of New Zealand who have embraced the science and put their trust in the health system who deserve the biggest accolade. They should take a bow, and then take a breath and continue to encourage others to get vaccinated.
"A strong booster uptake in all our communities is our best defence against the Omicron variant. Being fully vaccinated is great, being boosted is even bet said.
Find a vaccination centre near you by visiting BookMyVaccine.nz or calling the Covid Vaccination Healthline on 0800 28 29 26 for a whānau booking.
The 10 million doses is made up of 4,011,194 first doses, 3,939,188 second doses, 39,717 third primary doses for immunocompromised people, 1,722,179 boosters, and 204,796 paediatrics doses.
3:10pm - The Parliamentary protest looks more like a crowd at a music festival than the heated affair it was yesterday.
People are standing around tents talking, smoking and playing hacky sack. There are far fewer police today and they are stood back from the perimeter watching.
The most interesting thing going on at the moment is watching a group of people assemble a small marquee.
2:50pm - Wellington is set to see some heavy rain over the weekend with the arrival of Cyclone Dovi. The deluge will make the protest and the policing of it more challenging.
It doesn't look like it will take too much rain to turn the gardens at Parliament into a mud bath.
Cyclone Dovi became a severe category 3 cyclone on Friday as it tracked past New Caledonia towards Aotearoa, WeatherWatch said.
It's expected to still be severe when it arrives in the country over the weekend.
"The storm is expected to retain category 2 strength as it dive-bombs into the NZ area this weekend from the north.
2:30pm - The statement also addressed a number of videos circulating online claiming the police are being heavy-handed.
One video seemed to show a woman being dragged out of the protest by her hair while another showed a boy being held down by his head by police.
"It is important to note that Police on Parliament grounds continue to take a measured approach," the statement said.
"Images and videos shared online often do not provide the full context of the protest activity and the difficult situation Police staff face.
"Earlier today several staff were noted to be carrying batons – that was not in line with current approach and staff have now removed this equipment.
"Police continue to explore options to resolve the disruption to local businesses and allow free and safe movement around the city."
2:20pm - Police have issued a statement saying they are continuing to monitor and contain protest activity at Parliament grounds.
"Police have identified a range of different causes and motivations among the protestors, making it difficult to open clear and meaningful lines of communication.
"Misinformation, particularly on social media, has been identified as an issue. Some factions are actively promoting false advice about people’s rights and Police powers, which is misleading and factually incorrect.
"For example, the use of a particular word or phrase by an individual will not impact the arrest of anyone involved in unlawful activity.
"Under the Policing Act 2008, anyone arrested and taken into Police custody is required to provide their name, age, date of birth and address.
"They must also let Police take their photograph and fingerprints. It is an offence not to comply with these requests.
"Police are also concerned that people are encouraging children be brought to the protest site to support their efforts."
2:10pm - These are the latest locations of interest:
- Te Ao Mārama United Pentecostal Church International Service Flagstaff - Sunday, January 30 between 7:30am and 2pm, Saturday, February 5 between 8am and 12:30pm, and Sunday, February 6 between 7:30am and 1:30pm
- Super Liquor Queenstown - Saturday, February 5 between 1pm and 1:15pm
- Cromwell Family Practice - Saturday, February 5 between 12:15pm and 1:15pm
- Weymouth Community Hall - between Saturday, February 5 at 7pm and Sunday, February 6 at 12am
2:05pm - Auckland principals are reporting a mixed turnout as schools reopen for the year.
Hargreaves said students and teachers were putting the threat of COVID to the back of their minds.
Several in Auckland have already had cases, prompting some students and teachers to isolate.
1:45pm - The crowd at Parliament does look to have increased substantially since earlier on Friday morning. Protesters say a large number of people are currently travelling to Wellington to join them.
1:25pm - There are several new locations of interest, including:
- Ellerslie Event Centre (Parade Room and Tote on Ascot), Remuera, Auckland - between Friday, February 4 at 2pm and Saturday, February 5 at 12am
- Cafe Medici Martinborough - Sunday, February 6 between 10am and 11am
- Queenstown Airport Frankton - Sunday, February 6 between 7:13am and 8:30pm
1pm - Here's more from the Ministry of Health after Friday's record case total:
"The Big Boost continues today, promoting the booster dose to anyone over 18 who has had their second dose more than 3 months ago. Many vaccination centres will be open extended hours over the weekend to encourage people to get their booster.
"It is great to see that 43% of children in the 5 - 11 age group have already had their first dose. We want as many children as possible to be protected through vaccination.
"Yesterday more than 50,000 booster doses were given, bringing the total so far to 1,772,914.
"The most important step you can take to prepare for Omicron is getting your booster dose as soon as it is due. Boosters lower your chances of getting very sick and being hospitalised,
"Book your vaccine now, whether it’s your first, second or booster. Every dose counts.
"The increase in cases today is a reminder that, as expected, the Omicron variant is spreading in our communities as we have seen in other countries.
"The number of cases will continue to fluctuate from day to day, but our expectation is that cases will continue to increase in the coming weeks.
"All of us can all play our part to slow the spread of the virus, help protect our most vulnerable people from being infected, and ensure our health system is able to manage extra demand for services.
"This means continuing to do the basics well – staying home if unwell, and wearing a mask, physical distancing and scanning in using the NZ COVID Tracer app when you’re out and about.
"Masks are most effective when worn properly – fitted snug and close to the face.
"Anyone with any cold or flu symptoms that could be COVID-19 is asked to get a test and isolate at home until a negative result is returned.
"The most common early symptoms of the Omicron variant are a sore or scratchy throat, and a runny nose. Even if you develop a small sniffle, please get a test."
12:55pm - There are 446 new community cases, the Ministry of Health reports. That is by far New Zealand's largest daily total. The previous record was on Thursday with 306 cases.
COVID-19 vaccine update
- Vaccines administered to date (percentage of eligible people): 4,050,994 first doses (96%); 3,979,470 second doses (95%); 1,773,996 booster doses (56%).
- Vaccines administered yesterday: 695 first doses; 1,519 second doses; 2,041 paediatric doses; 50,427 booster doses.
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 515,614 first doses (90%); 491,451 second doses (86%).
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 12+): 278,741 first doses (97%); 271,547 second doses (95%).
- Paediatric vaccines administered to date (percentage of 5-11-year-olds): 206,782 first doses (43%)
- Māori (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 28,685 first doses (25%)
- Pacific Peoples (percentage of eligible people aged 5-11): 16,714 first doses (34%)
Vaccination rates for all DHBs (percentage of eligible people aged 12 +)
- Northland DHB: First doses (90%); second doses (87%)
- Auckland Metro DHBs: First doses (97%); second doses (96%)
- Waikato DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
- Bay of Plenty DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
- Lakes DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (91%)
- MidCentral DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Tairāwhiti DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (89.9%)
- Whanganui DHB: First doses (92%); second doses (89.9%)
- Hawke’s Bay: First doses (97%); second doses (94%)
- Taranaki DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (93%)
- Wairarapa DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Capital and Coast DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (97%)
- Hutt Valley DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- Nelson Marlborough DHB: First doses (97%); second doses (95%)
- West Coast DHB: First doses (93%); second doses (91%)
- Canterbury DHB: First doses (99%); second doses (98%)
- South Canterbury DHB: First doses (95%); second doses (94%)
- Southern DHB: First doses (98%); second doses (96%)
Hospitalisations
- Cases in hospital: (Total Number 23); North Shore: 2; Middlemore: 10; Auckland: 8; Rotorua: 2, Christchurch: 1
- Average age of current hospitalisations: 49
- Cases in ICU or HDU: 0
- Vaccination status of current hospitalisations (Northern Region wards only): Unvaccinated or not eligible (2 cases / 12%); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (1 case / 6%); fully vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (9 cases / 53%); Unknown (5 / 29%)
Cases
- Seven day rolling average of community cases: 244
- Seven day rolling average of border cases: 33
- Number of new community cases: 446
- Location of new community cases: Northland (16), Auckland (340), Waikato (48), Bay of Plenty (14), Lakes (13), Taranaki (1), Hutt Valley (7), Capital and Coast (4), Southern (3)
- Number of new cases identified at the border: 32
- Location of origin of border cases: US (5), UAE (5), India (12), Pakistan (4), Qatar (1), Singapore (1), Sri Lanka (1), Full travel history not yet obtained (3)
- Number of active cases (total): 2,874 (cases identified in the past 21 days and not yet classified as recovered)
- Confirmed cases (total): 18,936
* Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO.
Tests
- Number of tests total (last 24 hours): 23,146
- Tests rolling average (last 7 days): 18,817
- Number of Rapid Antigen Tests in New Zealand: 6.8 million
12:45pm - Here are some of the latest locations of interest:
- Cardrona Hotel, Wanaka - Saturday, February 5 between 5:18pm and 5:50pm
- Armando's Kitchen Italian Café/ Res - Saturday, February 5 between 12:24pm and 1pm
- Scroggin Coffee and Eatery Wanaka - Sunday, February 6 between 10:40am and 11:10am
12:30pm - We will bring you the 1pm Ministry of Health update as soon as it arrives.
12:05pm - It's being reported that the Speaker has been made aware of a video which appears to be shot from Bowen House (which is connected to Parliament via an underground tunnel) posted by white nationalist group Action Zealandia. Those working in Parliament have also just been told the Bowen House entrance will be locked until further notice for security reasons.
11:40am - Prince Charles has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said on Thursday, the second time that the heir to the British throne has contracted the disease.
Charles, 73, had been due to attend an event in the southwestern English town of Winchester to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of his mother Queen Elizabeth and was "deeply disappointed" he could no longer attend, his office, Clarence House, said.
11:20am - Protesters are now listening to music and dancing in a circle.
11:15am - One of the protesters has done what appears to be a Sieg Heil or Nazi salute. The man on the loud speaker continues to call for calm and for protesters to be peaceful.
11:10am - A line of police officers have run through the crowd of protesters. It lead a group of demonstrators to move over to a barricade. Someone is saying "remain peaceful" in a loud speaker. It's unclear what is happening.
11:05am - There is a number of new locations of interest. They include:
- The Bunker Queenstown - Sunday, February 6 between 1:30am and 2:30am
- Flight JQ259 Auckland to Wellington - Friday, February 4 between 10:30am and 11:35am
- Flight JQ256 Wellington to Auckland - Sunday, February 6 between 1pm and 1:50pm
- Hawkes Bay Polo Club Waipatu - Wednesday, January 26 at 1:30pm to Sunday, January 30 at 5:30pm
10:50am - A record 306 community cases were recorded on Thursday. Here's a look at the latest Ministry of Health case summary:
10:35am - As you can see from the bottom right-hand corner of the below pictures, a protester has begun dancing while others look on.
10:25am - We've just received this statement from Superintendent Corrie Parnell, the Wellington District Commander:
"Police can report there were no incidents of note overnight at Parliament Grounds.
"There were, however, two arrests for alcohol-related behaviour among those in the protest group.
"Police continue to take a measured approach to the protesters, who are trespassing on the grounds of Parliament and have been repeatedly asked to leave.
"This is an extremely difficult working environment for our frontline staff.
"However, Police have been exercising their powers fairly and professionally, and have used force proportionate and relevant to the circumstances.
"Images and videos often do not provide the full context of the protest activity and the situation Police staff face.
"Police will not comment on individual arrests.
"Police reiterate their request to the protesters to leave the area, as it is closed to the public and anyone remaining on the grounds is trespassing.
"Police’s intention is to resolve the disruption to local businesses and allow free and safe movement around the city for Wellingtonians as soon as is practically possible.
"A number of vehicles parked illegally on Lambton Quay have been moved overnight.
"Police advise the owners or drivers of other vehicles parked unlawfully on streets around Parliament to move them, or enforcement action will be taken."
10:20am - A series of videos taken during the anti-mandate protest in Wellington have called into question police claims of "professional" conduct while dealing with demonstrators.
In the first video, which appears to be an excerpt of a livestream, a man can be seen speaking calmly with a police officer until the officer suddenly and forcefully grabs the man around the neck, seemingly without provocation.
10:05am - There is one new close contact location of interest:
- NZONE Skydiving Queenstown - Saturday, February 5 between 12:30pm and 1:45pm
9:50am - If you're watching the livestream of the protest above, you'll see that while there is still a sizeable number of protesters, there isn't the hundreds seen on Thursday. There's also far fewer police officers.
9:40am - More than half of small- and medium-sized businesses expect to be hurt financially if Aotearoa remains at the red light setting for longer than a month, with nearly a third reporting sales have dipped since restrictions were increased in January.
A group representing hospitality businesses is also concerned Kiwis are hesitant to dine out due to what it says is "messaging of fear" about the outbreak, scaring people about the Omicron variant and leading them to not head into the stores.
9:30am - You can watch a livestream of events at Parliament in the video component above.
9:20am - A donut truck has pulled up outside Parliament.
9:05am - Another of the protesters' groups is calling for more people to head to Parliament and the surrounding area. Anyone who does venture to the grounds is told to "come prepared".
"Make sure you have somewhere to stay, food, water and appropriate clothing."
9am - The protesters appear to be running out of food and need more protection from the weather.
In a Telegram group chat for the Convoy 2022 protesters, the admin says they are "desperately seeking" more food for Friday night, indicating they have no intention of leaving Parliament.
They also say tarpaulins and rain ponchos are needed. Heavy rain is expected over the weekend.
The admin also asks for more volunteers to help with food preparation.
8:45am - A Labour Minister is ripping into anti-mandate protesters outside Parliament, saying they are a "tiny group of New Zealanders" who have been "misguided by garbage" on social media.
The protesters have been camped out on Parliament's lawns for three nights with tension escalating on Thursday.
Speaking with AM on Friday, Attorney-General David Parker said people have the right to protest but it has to be lawful.
8:20am - Speaking on AM's panel, Newshub reporter Michael Morrah says police are right to be tough on the protesters. He says the level of abuse and anger levelled at members of the public, journalists and businesses is unprecedented.
He says the group is made up of "misguided anarchists" with confused messages. Unlike with other protests that have been held at Parliament, this group doesn't have a clear point, Morrah says.
"This has crossed the line and I think the police are conducting themselves in the correct matter enforcing the law as they should be on behalf of all Wellingtonians and the country."
8am - AM reporter Ashleigh McCaull says more protesters are slowly entering Parliament's grounds. Despite a number of tents being pulled down by police on Thursday, McCaull says several are being erected on Friday morning. She says there is a thin police line currently, but more officers are expected to arrive later in the morning.
7:50am - In case you missed it, police released this statement at about 10:45pm on Thursday night:
"A total of 122 people have been arrested today as Police continue to enforce a trespass order at Parliament grounds.
"The number of protesters at the grounds has reduced significantly, and Police will maintain a presence overnight.
"A number of roads around the area remain blocked and Police urge Wellington commuters to plan their travel accordingly.
"Other smaller protest gatherings include a small group outside the Picton Police Station today, although the group dispersed earlier this evening.
"In Christchurch, Police have arrested and charged the driver of a vehicle associated with a protest group outside the Christchurch Central Police Station. The driver’s behaviour caused Police to become concerned. Staff attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver failed to pull over. Police stopped the vehicle a short time later, apprehended the driver and impounded the vehicle. The 63-year-old female driver is facing multiple driving charges, relating to failing to stop for Police, dangerous driving, resisting arrest, and refusing a blood sample."
7:35am - Wellington Mayor Andy Foster has told RNZ that work is underway to remove the large number of vehicles linked the protest which are blocking surrounding streets. They began being ticketed on Thursday.
Foster couldn't say how the cars will be removed or when. NZHerald reports the army is being considered to remove some of the vehicles if tow-trucks are unavailable.
7:30am - AM has been joined by National's Simon Bridges and Labour's David Parker to talk about the protest.
Bridges says protests can be expected at Parliament, but they should come to an end and people shouldn't expect to be able to camp out there. Parker says the protesters are abusive, threatening people and causing chaos for local businesses.
"There is definitely a rent-a-crowd aspect to this," Bridges says. While some are anti-vaccine mandate, others appear to be there "for the ride" and to protest a number of random issues, the MP says.
"Some people have some valid views, but there is also a real extremism and violence and the like."
7:15am - Newshub Political Editor Jenna Lynch tells AM more tents have been erected on Friday morning, signalling they have no intention of leaving anytime soon. No police line has been formed as officers did on Thursday, she says.
"The tents still keep going up," Lynch says.
While people are allowed to protest on Parliament's grounds, structures aren't allowed to be erected, she says.
Lynch notes that most MPs won't be at Parliament on Friday as it isn't a sitting day.
Footage from the grounds appears to show protesters putting up a gazebo.
7am - Overnight, an orange and white barricade was installed at Parliament alongside a metal railing which was already in place. That should help keep protesters back on Parliament's lawn.
Speaking to AM, reporter Ashleigh McCaull says it feels like the "calm before the storm". She says there are still a number of tents pitched on the grounds, but there aren't as many protesters on the site as on Thursday. Numbers are expected to grow, however, she says.
6:55am - Protesters continue to say they will remain at Parliament until mandates end, with one telling a NZME reporter that they expect more demonstrators to arrive on Friday.
It's reported there are still around 50 tents and 100 protesters at the site, with many moving from sleeping in their tents to lying out on the grass.
6:45am - Kia ora, good morning and welcome to Newshub's live updates for Friday.
While police say the number of protesters on Parliament's grounds has "reduced significantly", there are still tents set up on the front lawn. Roads remain blocked around the precinct despite parking wardens out on Thursday ticketing vehicles.
Additional police have been brought to Wellington to help with the demonstration and are warning commuters to be aware of continued disruption in the city centre.
