New Zealand virus cases reach record high as anti-vaccine protesters claim win

Richard GallagherToday  08:07 pm JST

The level of ignorance among anti-vaxxers is immeasurable. Completely ignores science. Shows complete disdain for the common good and the social compact which is not coercive, but cooperative. Narcissistic, self-absorbed and basically sociopathic - such is the 'mindset' of individuals who mask such as a protest against impingement on individual 'right' which is a ludicrous posit.

Pot meet kettle….

The level of ignorance among anti-vaxxers is immeasurable. Completely ignores science. Shows complete disdain for the common good and the social compact which is not coercive, but cooperative. Narcissistic, self-absorbed and basically sociopathic - such is the 'mindset' of individuals who mask such as a protest against impingement on individual 'right' which is a ludicrous posit.

2020hindsightsToday  06:55 pm JST

prionking

Anti-vaxxers don't care about other people, their health, or their lives. They never will.

You clearly don't understand the difference between people who don't want to take COVID vaccines and people who oppose mandating it.

OK, so are you antti-mandate that doesn't care about deaths of over 50 year olds, or an anti-vaxxer who has the same views?

You authoritarian types are good at sophistry, I'l give you that. But it doesn't work on me.

Of course I care about the deaths of over 50s - I'm not opposing people getting the vaccines if they aren't coerced into doing so and understand the risks vs benefits. It's no secret that the risk of passing away from this virus rises with age and comorbidities.

But the fact remains that the vast majority of the population doesn't get particularly sick if at all from this virus, there are safe and effective non-vaccine treatments available when caught early, and the mRNA vaccines are causing side effects that range from the mild to the deadly in numbers far exceeding any other vaccines released in the last few decades. This is why there are tens of thousands of doctors and nurses who have refused to get the jab - they've seethe consequences and want none of it. This has caused staff shortages because they won't submit to the mandates, and is the reason the UK dropped the jab mandate for NHS staff. The media won't report it like that, but it's the truth.

So there's zero justification for these mandates, particularly as the vaccines' efficacies are waning sharply after just a few weeks and not curbing the spread. These NZ protestors are fully justified in their opposition.

"We won! We won! More and more people are getting sick with Covid, just like we wanted!"

Well done protesters. Show the fascist oppressors that as Twisted Sister sang 'We're not gonna take it!'.

prionking

Anti-vaxxers don't care about other people, their health, or their lives. They never will.

You clearly don't understand the difference between people who don't want to take COVID vaccines and people who oppose mandating it.

OK, so are you antti-mandate that doesn't care about deaths of over 50 year olds, or an anti-vaxxer who has the same views?

Good thing NZ has mRNA vaccines now. 2022 would have been so much worse than 2021 and 2020 combined! Really dodged a bullet!

Anti-vaxxers don't care about other people, their health, or their lives. They never will.

You clearly don't understand the difference between people who don't want to take COVID vaccines and people who oppose mandating it.

They should have shown up, had their voices heard, and left. The cops missed their chance early on and now all they can do is damage control.

I don't agree with any harassment, so I'm with you on that. However, just showing up for a short time and then leaving won't achieve anything. If we look at the Canadian example, they've stuck it out and are forcing the hands of both provincial and the national governments. The provincial ones are backing off while Trudeau is doubling down.

"anti-vaccine protesters" claim win.

This right here is why the media is so hated by all sides.

They're clearly anti-mandate, as in Canada.

And how is that zero covid policy going, New Zealand?

Good thing you announced another year of lockdowns. That really scared off the virus.

Why would you do that? I've been over 50 for almost 8 years and I don't like being relegated to irrelevant death. And while I'm not obese, same applies.

Anti-vaxxers don't care about other people, their health, or their lives. They never will.

online, NZ has the least corrupt govt and police in the world in large part to the high level of transparency there.

Nice to read, in my experience so many good people come from New Zealand.

But fat chance the anti-democracy herds would be willing to accept that. Instead they'll listen to some Internet influencer with limited credentials, or maybe an anonymous internet poster, perhaps a mediocre former MMA fighter who took too many kicks and punches to his head.

Do not expect the extremists to listen to anyone who might be an expert in medical science, because the extremists, for whatever reason, view experts like they view the media and other of their imagined demons.They will follow political leaders like MTG, who denied the Holocaust and believed American Jews financed aliens to fly a UFO and fire lasers to start forest fires.

Nothing else could be expected. While the former some stricter ZeroCovid attempts brought quite some success and very low numbers, now the opposite strategy brings higher and record infection numbers. Isn’t that totally clear to understand right from the beginning?

I agree with that

Thank you for acknowledging that. It's the fundamental premise of the protest.

But Ardern has nothing to do with the procedural matters of the NZ police. They even offered the protesters free parking at a nearby stadium. Of the 400 or so illegally parked vehicles, about a dozen were moved voluntarily.

While that me be the case in a strictly procedural point of view, she still influences how the police act. Offering the protestors parking nearby might seem reasonable and "kind", but that simply serves to shift the location of the blockade to a place where it would get little attention, neutralising its impact. Of course it's up to the protestors themselves whether they want to shift their vehicles voluntarily, as you point out some did, the rest of them kept theirs in place as part of their protest.

Haaa Nemui

I’ve come across a change.org petition if anybody wants to sign it

Thanks. Signed.

The state must NEVER coerce someone to take a medical treatment under threat of removing their fundamental civil rights.

You're gonna lose it when you find out that not only do other people exist, but they also have rights.

prionking

Looking at the stats, most of those people who have sadly passed away have been 50 and over.

Why would you do that? I've been over 50 for almost 8 years and I don't like being relegated to irrelevant death. And while I'm not obese, same applies.

Jeans and T-shirtToday  05:52 pm JST

prionking,

Who's talking about BLM? Again, this isn't the states. 

And the jab is no longer experimental. Hasn't been for a fair while now. A few tow trucks is not martial law. They tried other means. Perhaps you should do some reading before posting. Some local towies sympathise with the protesters, while others are too intimidated to take part. I don't blame them. 

Maybe they refused to do it.In any case, the military should be used to defend a country and provide emergency humanitarian relief, not displace citizens for disagreeing with government policy.

Like I said, get a grip. Lending a couple of vehicles is not displacing citizens. Your histrionics don't do you any favours here.

No histrionics, someone has to know where to draw the line when it comes to state power. Ardern would have no problems allowing a far-left protest that she agrees with from disrupting peoples' lives, but is happy to crush protests she doesn't like. So far she hasn't pushed too far, but she's treading the line. The state must NEVER coerce someone to take a medical treatment under threat of removing their fundamental civil rights.

In any case, the NZ protestors should feel emboldened by their Canadian counterparts as provinces over there are axing vaccine mandates, leaving Ardern's fellow WEF poster child Trudeau increasingly isolated. He has invoked the Emergencies Act to try to remove his opponents and prevent them from accessing their own bank accounts. A real leader would negotiate with opponents, but Trudeau is no leader, just a coward.

Ample studies out there showing lockdowns and masks don’t work.

For every so called "study" claiming lockdowns and masks dont work, there are 100 studies showing they do work.

My sympathies are with the police who have shown great patience with these anti vaxxer criminals.

Absolutely!

No matter how hard scientist try, there is still no cure for stupidity. They tried better education and more and simple to understand information but the curse of stupidity remains stronger than common sense and being better informed with truth and science. Yet the search for a cure continues in earnest. It is recommended that people do not hold their breath waiting for a cure as this too would prove deadly.

It remains a pandemic and as such it remains a deadly situation requiring people to take all recommended precautions to limit sickness and death. We are all tired of this situation but wanting it over wont make it over.

Jeans and T-shirtToday  05:14 pm JST

So he's effectively asking for martial law. All these people want is to be free from being coerced into injection with experimental drugs of questionable efficacy and safety. And yet the top cop wants to set the military on them for this. NZ is in serious trouble.

Get a grip. That may be the go-to for peaceful protests in the states but here they simply want to unblock the illegally blocked streets so people can get to school or work unharrassed, and business owners can re-open. The 'freedom' protesters have been denying the people of Wellington those rights for nine days, now. The 'military help' requested was some equipment capable of towing vehicles. Four movers have been dispatched but are as yet unused. 

And yeah, if you impede a cop carrying out their lawful duty, you might get arrested.

LOL

I don't suppose you though BLM protestors were preventing people from going about their business? The freedom protestors don't go around smashing things up, they just don't want to be coerced into getting an experimental jab. And gif all the cops needed were some tow trucks, why didn't they call in some local towies? Maybe they refused to do it.In any case, the military should be used to defend a country and provide emergency humanitarian relief, not displace citizens for disagreeing with government policy.

I’ve come across a change.org petition if anybody wants to sign it.

https://www.change.org/p/freedom-groups-in-wellington-tell-the-wellington-protestors-to-go-home-they-are-not-the-majority

letsberealistic Today  05:05 pm JST

They've been going for zero-covid, and even with a highly vaccinated population (a large number under duress, lest they be unlawfully shut out of society). Yet even with all this vaccination and mask mandates, the virus continues to spread. While the vaccine may reduce the severity, it does nothing to prevent the spread so vaccine mandates at the very least are pointless and punitive.

Looking at the stats, most of those people who have sadly passed away have been 50 and over. There's also no clear indication whether they died with or of COVID, nor their comorbidity status - a crucial factor influencing whether people survive. This is especially true for Maori and Pacific people, who have a higher obesity rate than the general population. Of course they could reduce the hospitalisation much lower still if they'd allow IVM and other drugs in combination that do stop the virus (look at places where it's used en masse), but NZ won't let that happen.

https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-data-and-statistics/covid-19-case-demographics

Why do vaccinated masked people have to care?

They didn't care when these folks were protesting peacefully, but as soon as they started abusing people, families, obstructing businesses, ambulances, spitting at bus drivers, then they started to care.

Why do vaccinated masked people have to care?

barry Manilow is a form of torture.

They are just a bunch of idiots - what little sympathy they had from some onlookers has now gone after the numerous reports of abuse of businesses, bus drivers, innocent people just walking to work because they are wearing masks, blocking ambulances. They are just sad individuals who have nothing better to do and I hope they all end up in jail.

Omicron is not causing the overwhelming majority of people problems!-how’s that for a headline?

While there have only been 53 virus deaths in the nation of five million, some protesters have taken to the streets railing against COVID-related restrictions and a government vaccination drive.

…..

And what of the ages of the deceased, underlying conditions etc?

We are never told but the media ensures that the ‘panic’ goes on…

Ample studies out there showing lockdowns and masks don’t work. And with highly vaccinated places like NZ and South Korea exploding in cases, you gotta wonder if it was wise to force healthy people to get vaxxed.

My sympathies are with the police who have shown great patience with these anti vaxxer criminals.

It's a fascist uprising and the idiots out there putting everyone at risk need to go to prison!!!

All this demonstrates is that the government's "strategies" of vax mandates and the like don't work.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said he had asked for the military's help, warning anyone who obstructed the "imminent" operation that they faced arrest.

So he's effectively asking for martial law. All these people want is to be free from being coerced into injection with experimental drugs of questionable efficacy and safety. And yet the top cop wants to set the military on them for this. NZ is in serious trouble.

Really a shame to see this happening when they had such a strong start, can only see things degrading more if authorities don't actually get things under control. I don't think it is too late though.

On the other hand, still would seem a paradise compared to a lot of the western world, the gap remains absolutely massive.