Police will have a "highly visible" presence around Parliament's grounds on Monday to provide reassurance for those going to work and school in the capital, as the anti-mandate protests enter its seventh day.
Police will be out on foot around the railway station area, up Molesworth Street, and on the streets adjoining the protest activity, Superintendent Corrie Parnell said in a statement.
"We encourage commuters to the area to plan for continued traffic disruption, but we want everyone coming into the city to feel safe."
Sky Stadium provided a safe parking facility for protesters vehicles from 6.30pm on Monday, police said.
As of 7pm, only two vehicles were at the stadium.
Police said it would be providing the owners' vehicles currently blocking roads with information on how and when they could move their cars to Sky Stadium.
There would also be a police presence at the stadium.
In the meantime, protesters were asked to relocate their vehicles from the road and into legitimate parking as soon as possible.
Police would also continue to monitor the protesters, who camped out at the grounds overnight.
READ MORE: Police appeal to protesters to clear Parliament streets
"Our planning for a way forward is advanced and we are urging leaders of various protest groups to work with us to clear the roads, and allow the public freedom of movement for traffic and surrounding businesses while retaining their ability to protest lawfully," Parnell said.
"There are a number of complexities in dealing with protesters with a variety of causes and leaders, but we will persist in finding open lines of communication with group leaders as we urge them to engage to work with us.
"We are offering to facilitate an alternative location for the vehicles and camper vans, currently blocking streets around Parliament to be based, while they continue a lawful demonstration at Parliament."
Anti-Covid-19 vaccine mandate protesters were out in force for a sixth day. (Source: 1News)
Parnell said police were also concerned about the number of children at the grounds as "health conditions particularly around sanitation, and risk of Covid, are now growing concerns".
"Sanitisation has been in the form of portaloos down there...some of the filming has being quite graphic, particularly around children, and on the grounds the squalor of the water, defecation and surrounding environments."
In a speech to protesters on Monday afternoon, a man named "Adam" read out a letter that supposedly represents the range of groups protesting.
It was reiterated that a meeting was sought with "senior cabinet ministers" and that protesters will stay until mandates are lifted.
Police said the disruption to residents, schools and workplaces is creating real stress and people are feeling unsafe.
There have been no further arrests at this stage, after more than 100 were arrested last week.
There were about 3000 protesters present over the weekend, and a constant presence of 400 to 500 in tents on the grounds and in the surrounding streets.
National MP Nicola Willis weighed in on the week-long protest saying "I think all New Zealanders have a sense of fairness, they're allowed to protest but you have to stick to the rules".
She said people can't park their cars in the middle of the street, block off main roads and stop people from being able to get to work.
"That's not ok," she said.
"Parliament was never supposed to be a campground, it's one thing to come here and have your say, it's another thing to pretend that this is a place where you can live."
Willis said she is particularly concerned to see young children at the protest, "often unsupervised, not properly clothed, none of us like to see that".
The police were not involved in the decision to turn Parliament's sprinklers on and to use loud music to try and get rid of protesters, Parnell said.
"It's not a tactic we would encourage. It is what it is, it happened."
SHARE ME