There is only one thing that will put an end to the now seven-day occupation at parliament by protesters.
It's not a cacophony of terrible music.
It's not being subjected to sprinklers.
It's not forced removal by police.
It's not the Prime Minister demanding 'go home'.
It's something much more simple and easy.
Someone just needs to listen.
It has been a week since the protesters arrived - the crowd peaking at upward of 3000 with a core group of around 500 on site 24/7.
They've outlasted extreme weather, they've stood strong and new waves of bodies, tents, camping gear, signs, banners and the like are expected this week.
Their reasons for being at Parliament are varied. What started as a movement against government vaccine mandates scooped up others with causes - and axes - to grind against the country's leadership.
Whatever their reason for being there though, the majority want one basic thing.
They want their voices heard.
And until that happens experts say the protesters will not be moved.
John Minto is one of New Zealand's most high-profile activists and became synonymous with protests as the National Organiser for HART (Halt All Racist Tours) during the protests against the 1981 Springbok Tour.
Many Kiwis felt that New Zealand engaging in sport against South Africa condoned its racist apartheid system.
Others vehemently disagreed.
Over 56 days more than 150,000 people took part in over 200 demonstrations in 28 New Zealand towns and cities.
Police arrested 1500 people as a result.
Minto said the government's vaccine mandates had divided the country in a similar way.
Minto said while there were some in the throng with more nefarious motives, the majority of the current protesters were "good people".
"I think the government has handled this badly," he said.
"And that's something that didn't need to happen.
"The key thing is people need to feel they have been listened to, and I don't think they have."
Minto said the protest was "very likely to grow" and the government needed to address the issue urgently.
"They're not going anywhere," he said.
The difficulty was the mixed intentions of the group.
Minto said if the protest was solely about mandates he suspected the government would have been more inclined to engage.
However, with multiple "factions" colliding and no coherent leadership or strategy among the group the government was able to "hide" and disregard the situation.
"Most of these people are good people - yes some have their own remit or white supremacist agenda and some are doing things to stir it along," Minto said.
"And they won't get a look in… but the government needs to have a good faith approach with (the main group) and they have to be prepared to actually sit down and listen and take on board their concerns.
"They should be prepared to sit down with people who are there."
Minto said the lack of planning and clarity among protesters meant the event was, on one hand, a failure.
"But if they can hang in there for a while they will be listened to," he said.
Minto urged police to "relax" and carry on how they were operating at the front line.
He said there had been some arrests, possibly some "heavy handed" officers - but by and large their approach was best and was the most effective way to police the protest.
"It's not often I say that about police," he said.
"Overall I think the best approach is to be relaxed and stay calm and not exacerbate things.
"Overall their strategy has been good and about confinement… most of it has been pretty respectful and engaging."
Minto said calls for a heavy-handed removal of the group - some suggesting tear gas and or mass arrests - was "outrageous".
"That's not New Zealand and that's really disappointing," he said.
"If they did that they would also set a standard for any protest in the future… we've got to be pushing the other way… Heaven forbid the state clear parliament grounds with a scorched earth approach as some suggest.
"Our civil rights would be the biggest casualty in such a case, long into the future."
Minto also slammed the efforts of Trevor Mallard to move the protesters on.
Over the weekend Mallard organised the playing repetitive music and Covid-19 adverts on loud speakers and tried to flush out the campsite by turning on the parliamentary sprinklers.
Despite that, and extreme weather, the numbers did not dwindle.
"It is venal and pathetic," Minto said.
"It's so bloody disrespectful and tacky and horrible.
"Most of the people there are decent people who just think the government overstepped and… want an explanation."
"They will be embarrassed by some of the crazies in the wider group… A lot of those people have just gone down a rabbit hole of misinformation."
Minto said it was "inevitable" the protest would "fail to change any government policy".
But "understanding how we got here is important".
"Most of those protesting… have developed a deep distrust of politicians and are therefore susceptible to the masses of misinformation in what one commentator calls the "rivers of hate" on social media.
"We should leave the police to handle the protest as they are doing and instead of venting pathetically at the lack of a strong state response, put that energy into demanding our politicians force Facebook and other social media outlets to change to a subscriber model which serves the user rather than the advertiser-driven model whose algorithms push people to the extremes and down never-ending rabbit holes."
Former police negotiator Lance Burdett agreed the government's handling of the protest was dismal.
"People are angry and it's due to frustration. We've been held back for two years now," he told NewstalkZB this morning.
"The harder you tell someone what to do the greater their reaction."
With no sign of the protesters moving, Burdett believed a mediator will now be brought in - and says this should have already happened.
"This is the thing, timing is everything – it's a fine line," he said.
"First couple of days you've got to let people vent, we saw the same thing happen at Waikeria [Prison] – it went on for too long, once you get past that seven-day mark you're now in trouble."
"They will probably try to bring in a mediator which is what they should have done about day three – give people the chance to have their say and then bring in a mediator."
Burdett felt the Government should have met with representatives of the group much earlier.
He said ideally the two sides would have met at an off-site location to hear each other out.
"(The protesters) they want to speak to someone from the Government they don't want to speak to somebody who is policing them," said Burdett.
Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said yesterday negotiations were still being pursued.
He conceded there was no end in sight to the protest but said work was ongoing to resolve the frayed situation.
"To date that hasn't been entirely successful," Parnell said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has so far refused to meet with any of the protesters, urged them this morning to give up.
"We all want them to leave," she said.
"Go home - and take your children."
Ardern told RNZ that the group were currently an "imported form of protest" with a mix of Trump flags, Canadian flags and abusing members of the public for wearing a mask.
Ardern did not approve of the tactics she had seen from the protesters and some of the behaviour was "pure misinformation around the role of vaccines".
"We've seen some horrific behaviour down here," she said.
Just before midday today police revealed their next move in the battle.
Later today they would start towing the protesters' cars in a bid to "allow Wellingtonians freedom of movement around the area while they continue their demonstrations".
"The disruption to residents, schools and places of work, is creating real stress and concern, and people are feeling unsafe," Parnell said.
He said while some protesters had moved vehicles that were obstructing the roads - which was "greatly appreciated" - others were still causing issues.
Sky Stadium has agreed to provide a safe parking facility for protesters' vehicles from this evening.
Throughout the day, police will be providing the owners of the cars, vans, utes, campervans and trucks currently blocking roads with information that will explain how and when they can relocate their vehicles.
"In the interim, we are asking protesters to relocate their vehicles from the road and into legitimate parking as soon as possible," said Parnell.
He said police staff will continue to be highly visible in and around Parliament grounds, to provide reassurance for all people.
"We continue to appeal to protesters to leave the demonstration and to take their children," he urged.
"It has been wet and cold overnight, and we now have concerns about the health risks posed and sanitation issues."
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