Many central Wellington shops face a crisis, university buildings have been closed for eight weeks and many report major disruptions from the protest at parliament, with people's patience wearing thin and calls for more definitive action.
Photo: RNZ
Retail NZ said the road blocks and disruption are a disaster for local stores. Some retailers have had to close while others are reducing their operating hours.
Chief executive Greg Harford said very few customers are visiting the central city area near parliament, which includes some of Wellington's prime shopping.
"Things were bad before the protests, with the move to the red traffic light setting, but protests and the disruption associated with them are really just keeping customers away from town. Foot traffic is down and sales and down."
Harford said the government needs to re-introduce the wage subsidy for all businesses affected by Omicron - and that the need is particularly acute in Wellington.
Yesterday about 30 Wellington community leaders, including regional mayors, MPs, business leaders and principals signed a letter urging an immediate end to the illegal camp.
Last night Victoria University of Wellington announced its Pipitea campus, which is occupied by the protesters, would remain closed until 11 April to protect staff and students' health and safety.
Student president Ralph Zambrano said he understands the decision, but students are disappointed more wasn't done to stop the protest before it disrupted the education they are paying thousands of dollars for.
He said students support peaceful protest, but they have been subject to harassment and intimidation for 11 days.
The association is running a petition calling for the protesters to be peacefully relocated so the buildings can reopen before April, and now has more than 8000 signatures.
"We want there to be further efforts now to avoid the disruption lasting as long as they've set it out to be... which is why we're going to continue to put pressure for peaceful action," Zambrano said.
A Wellington City Missioner called on the protesters to go home because of the negative impact on the city's most vulnerable.
Murray Edridge said it was harder to get around the city and more difficult to access services.
Some streets can't be used as they're clogged with protesters' vehicles, public transport in the capital has had to be re-routed and the mission's food delivery to people who are isolating with Covid-19 and people in need had been disrupted.
Edridge said the noise and disruption from protesters is causing extreme anxiety for some, and the mission is also worried about the health risk the large gathering presents.
"The people that come to help us have all been impacted by this. It's getting very trying on people, and just enhancing the stress on both those who we're here to serve, and those who are here to serve."
Edridge says he had no issue with a gathering on the lawns of parliament, but the blocking of streets is unacceptable.
Meanwhile, an RNZ reporter at the protest site said it was already busy at 10am, the busiest they had seen at that time.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster yesterday said at last count there were about 800 protesters but police expected a "significant number" of people to join the protest over the weekend.
The protest at about 10am this morning. Photo: RNZ
