New Zealand is now witnessing its largest ever national hikoi. In a vehicular convoy that stretched an estimated 70km in the North Island alone, thousands of protestors have converged outside the Parliamentary buildings in Wellington. This hikoi against covid mandates & the separation of NZ society into those that will present a vaccine passport and those that will not, has drawn supporters from all walks of life. Unsurprisingly, those that support the segregation have made strong attempts to derail it, from the insertion of false information into hikoi communications to the use of vehicles to push hikoi participants off the road.

Others tried to call the police to stop the convoy.

There have thus far been no official reports of accidents directly related to the hikoi, nor has the hikoi been split up or diverted as it arrived in Wellington this morning.

Former Mediaworks radio host Sean Plunkett attempted to downplay the extent of the protest by describing participants as “some country folk”.

One business owner was quick to describe it in disparaging terms.

Whatever the outcome of this hikoi, it is clear that the social fabric of New Zealand has been torn asunder. The mandates & passports have created such deep divisions that it is questionable whether the reversal of those restrictions will be able to restore cohesion. It is the aim of the Freedom Convoy to do so.