Anti-mandate protesters in Christchurch say they plan to stay until the mandates are dropped.
The number of protesters camped out in Cranmer Square appears to have grown since Tuesday.
Protester Daniel McFadyen of Darfield told the Herald he has been there for three days.
"I came with my partner, she's on her second job, due to the mandates. My workplace right now is mandating and even in general we've just been treated different [sic].
"I think it should be more about if you want to be vaccinated, go and do it but if I don't want to then I don't want to. Don't threaten my job, don't judge me for it," he said.
McFadyen said he is unvaccinated himself and works printing cartons.
"We plan to be here just like Wellington until they drop the mandates. I'm personally here in support of Wellington."
A council spokeswoman said they have engaged with the Christchurch protesters and provided them with a copy of the Parks and Reserves Bylaw 2016, as Cranmer Square is covered by this bylaw.
Cranmer Square is considered a reserve and under section 11 of the bylaw, no one can camp in a reserve.
"We are working closely with police on the next steps.
"We appreciate these gatherings are causing ongoing concerns and are a disruption for local residents, and we are very focused on avoiding any escalation of issues as safety is our main priority," they said.
A police spokesperson said they are monitoring the situation closely.
As the year draws to a close, Waikato Herald is taking stock of 2024.