Credibility lost
I was starting to garner some respect for the protesters. However, after reading of human faeces being thrown at people, I am quickly going off the whole carry-on.
It's such a shame that there are those who make a career out of protesting and will join any protest because they are anti-government, anti-police, or just plain anti.
Any momentum the genuine protesters had made is now lost and unfortunately, all these protesters will be lumped in together.
They may as well pack up and go home.
Janet Boyle, Ōrewa.
Authoritarian response
Paul Little's call to bring in the army to end the protest at Parliament (NZ Herald, February 22) is one of the most alarming opinion pieces I have read in a long time.
It is bad enough to dismiss an entire group of protesters as mentally ill, violent and infantile due to the actions of an extreme minority. It is even worse to advocate the response of employing the army to suppress civil dissent.
The idea of large numbers of middle-class urban liberals suddenly embracing a narrowminded authoritarian mindset alarms me far more than the actions of a radical fringe currently encamped outside Parliament.
James Braund, Remuera.
Required restrictions
Christopher Luxon (NZ Herald, February 22) seems rather confused. He notes that: "Kiwis should be able to question the current health response, while also agreeing some restrictions are still required to minimise deaths and ensure our health system is not overloaded".
Yet, a few paragraphs later, he writes: "It is reasonable for non-vaccinated Kiwis to ask what conditions must be met for them to once again participate fully in civil society".
The current mandates are the restrictions to minimise deaths and try to keep the health system working. The non-vaccinated can't participate fully in society - yet.
He is trying to have it both ways.
Richard Cole, Waipu.
Tests no protection
Does Christopher Luxon (NZ Herald, February 22) understand that increasing the use of rapid antigen tests will not protect New Zealanders from Covid? It merely confirms there are vaster numbers of infections in the communities.
To slow the spread to the vulnerable, people will still have to self-isolate and to prevent hospitalisation and deaths, indulge in vaccination.
Marie Kaire, Whangarei.
Princely sums
Are we really to believe that Prince Andrew is about to live the life of a pauper? Certainly from all accounts, he is a very arrogant, spoiled person who has followed a very unwise path. But, in the end, if you can settle a lawsuit with bucket loads of money, live in a large mansion then things can't be too bad.
If I had access to even a minute amount of what he has then I certainly wouldn't be complaining.
Paul Beck, West Harbour.
Tracking progress
Not long ago, it was not flash to live along train tracks. Then the sustainability brigade made it fashionable. It became a good location and was sought after.
Now Auckland Council is considering slapping people near rail lines with a stupid tax. What does the council stand for? Definitely not for sustainable living.
Will this drive the people off the rails and buses, back to cars?
Nishi Fahmy, Avondale.
Ukraine incursions
Vladimir Putin got it right when he said Ukraine has always been an integral part of Russian history.
In the 1850s Crimean War, Russia tried unsuccessfully to annex Crimea.
In the 1930s, there was a famine throughout the Soviet Union. Ukraine was forced to give up a disproportionately large amount of grain for the greater good, resulting in about four million Ukrainian deaths by starvation. This is known as Holodomor, and rates as one of the great acts of calculated genocide of the last century yet is rarely mentioned in the West.
Now we see Ukraine being nibbled away in small chunks, each chunk too small to alarm Nato enough to act decisively. First the Crimea, now other regions of Eastern Ukraine. First Russia declares them separatist states, then separates them from Ukraine by force.
You don't need 150,000 troops to annex regions that want to be annexed.
Andrew Tichbon, Green Bay.
Short & sweet
On testing
It is pure fantasy that any testing can make any difference at all to the course of Omicron. It needs to stop now because all it will lead to is the removal of essential workers when they are most needed. Andrew Montgomery, Remuera.
On protest
The protest at Wellington is political. It needs to be resolved politically and that requires diplomacy. A good diplomat would not refuse to negotiate with a party they do not agree with. Ian Brady, Titirangi.
Surely health and safety regulations should be enacted against the protesters in Wellington to stop the spread of Omicron, flu, gastroenteritis, nits and even typhoid. Helen Thorstensen, Unsworth Heights.
The protests got crazier, more violent, and disrespectful of police as NZ had over 2800 Covid cases - the highest in NZs total pandemic. Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri.
Winston Peters addresses protesters... there's no show without Punch. Peter Culpan, Te Atatu Peninsula.
On vaccine
Why are our health system resources being used to treat people who have it in their hands to avoid getting sick? Bruce Rogan, Mangawhai Heads.
On priorities
The top priority of our Government, whichever party is in power, must be education. Pythagoras stated it centuries ago: "Educate the children and it won't be necessary to punish the men." Craig Fraser, Mission Bay.
The Premium Debate
End protest with force
The NZ Army is trained and equipped for war, not domestic law enforcement. That is the task of the NZ Police. Are you comfortable with armed NZ military personnel being used for law enforcement? You have to be joking. Andrew R.
I totally agree with the article. Everyone I know is fed up with this rabble. It's about time the police moved them on. Marsden B.
Putting the military on New Zealand streets to forcefully remove New Zealanders, regardless of your views about them, is the worst scenario I could imagine. Jason L.
The only way to resolve this is by the authorities out-muscling the rabble. Talking is futile because that requires the conversation to proceed on the basis of an agreed set of facts. Colin J.
We have accepted lockdowns, roadblocks and now vaccine mandates - and the treatment of dissenters as low information, loony toddlers who don't know what is good for them. And now finally, the supporters of the state want to send in the army against citizens. Anna S.
When excrement is thrown at police, along with white supremacy followers encouraging violence, my support ends. You stand or fall by association. Dain B.
The simplest way to end this protest is to deprive them of food and drinks. The source of food and drinks should be cut off now that all roads leading to protesters are blocked. People will start leaving if they are hungry and they can be allowed to leave with no return. Jose M.
The vast majority of protesters and their many supporters are just disenfranchised members of society who want nothing more than to have their jobs back and a clear timeline for when mandates might end. The protest is already achieving its aim. I very much doubt you would have heard anything about the end to mandates from the PM were it not for the protest. Warren M.
