A traffic management operation this afternoon has successfully repositioned and reinforced the concrete bollard road blocks around the perimeter of the protest area in Wellington.
This work is part of our ongoing efforts to reduce the impact of the protest on Wellingtonians, particularly those who live, work and study in the area around Parliament.
About 170 staff were involved in the operation this afternoon to reinforce the existing concrete bollards to further reduce the area of protest activity.
Staff secured the location at Bowen Street and Lambton Quay to allow forklift vehicles to move the concrete blocks into place.
The initial operation was completed within 90 minutes and completed without incident.
Further action was taken at Bunny Street to reinstate bollards in order to prevent further vehicles from entering the protest site. The overall number of vehicles in the enclosed precinct is now around 300 – significantly reduced from last week as people continue to pack up and leave every day.
Movements to reduce the cordon will continue in the coming days as our focus remains on returning the city back to normal as quickly as possible.
Police are disappointed to see protesters presenting homemade shields, crafted from plywood and rope.
A visible presence will remain at Parliament this evening as Police continue to monitor protest activity.
Police will continue to maintain our reassurance patrols, with assistance from Maori Wardens.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre