Authorities in Wellington, New Zealand, played hit songs of Barry Manilow, James Blunt, the Macarena, and others to disperse the crowd of anti-government protesters.
On the fifth day, Trevor Mallard, the speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, started playing a 15-minute loop of Barry Manilow music, "Macarena" by Los del Río, and Covid-19 vaccine advertisements through the speakers inside Parliament buildings.
Reportedly, the tunes were picked from a playlist of the world's 25 most hated songs. The music was met with boos and the 1984 Twisted Sister song "We're Not Gonna Take It." The music battle also featured catchy children's songs, like Frozen's "Let It Go" and "Baby Shark. Reportedly, some opposition lawmakers and police authorities have criticized the move. They said that the move was childish.
Hundreds of people gathered in the capital city last week to protest the government's mask and vaccine mandates. Protesters set up camp outside Parliament and parked cars, blocking traffic.
On Monday, Superintendent Corrie Parnell, the Wellington District Commander, said that the protest is causing real stress and concern to residents, schools, and workplaces.
Reportedly, Parnell said that protestors had been putting their children on the frontline of the protest. Authorities now have concerns about the health risks posed and sanitation issues.
There were some 3,000 protesters over the weekend to protest against the Covid-19 mandates. Officers tried to forcibly clear the grounds on Thursday. Subsequently, the police had arrested 120 people and used pepper spray on some members of the crowd. However, two police staff were injured because of the unrest while some protesters suffered minor injuries.
Trevor Mallard had Parliament's sprinklers activated on Friday, the fourth day of protests. However, the protestors responded by digging trenches to redirect the water to nearby drains.
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