Thousands of anti-mandate protesters marched onto the bridge from the North Shore late this morning, chanting “mandates gone, first of March”.
Police have said it allowed the illegal crossing of the Auckland Harbour Bridge today “to avoid escalating the situation”.
The protest saw the harbour bridge closed for 90 minutes today as Thousands of people walked across the bridge chanting “mandates gone by 1st of March” and “freedom”.
The decision to let protesters walk across the bridge came even though the protest was known about last week and followed police speaking with protesters this morning.
A police spokesman said officers “actively engaged with the protest organisers this morning to deter them from unlawfully crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge”.
The protest march then went ahead.
All southbound traffic lanes on State Highway One over the Auckland Harbour Bridge have now reopened after they were closed while New Zealand anti-mandate protesters marched across the bridge.
State Highway 1 on the Northern Motorway was closed to southbound traffic between Esmonde Rd and Fanshawe St and motorists were being asked to delay non-essential travel across the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Let's go Auckland!!! pic.twitter.com/vsZLJioE3f
— The Golden Age is coming 🇳🇿 🌸 (@kiwipatriotnz) February 25, 2022
The anti-mandate March over Auckland Harbour Bridge is underway!
— Zeitgeist (@ZeitgeistNZ) February 25, 2022
pic.twitter.com/ERPItB8PFd
Auckland we are doing this …❤️ pic.twitter.com/fnbQfjH7Yd
— Sheepish (@sheepish_nz) February 25, 2022
Oh wow…the straggle muster coming from gore is pretty big again…people back in the streets…an estimated 10,000 marching in Chch, Auckland the same stretched the length of the harbour bridge, still so many in Welly and Picton and Dunedin….a few thousand? We ARE NOT small. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xAbN4sPbQb
— PipMHChats2 (@PipMHChats2) February 25, 2022
The anti-mandate March over Auckland Harbour Bridge is underway!
— Zeitgeist (@ZeitgeistNZ) February 25, 2022
pic.twitter.com/ERPItB8PFd
While everyone is focussed on the anti-mandate protests in Wellington and the march across Auckland Harbour Bridge, let’s not forget there’s also a significant protest of around 1000 people going on in Christchurch’s Cranmer Square. pic.twitter.com/ioOdtBaAtr
— Zeitgeist (@ZeitgeistNZ) February 26, 2022
Auckland Harbour Bridge Freedom March.
— MikeNewZ 🏕🏛🌁 (@MikeNewZ_) February 25, 2022
First Protesters Arrive At Victoria Park
Did they bring their tents?
You’ll have to wait to find out! pic.twitter.com/WCMzycQpwr
🇳🇿🚨 Auckland, New Zealand rising up against covid tyranny today pic.twitter.com/FRyRQLoo3P
— Michael Murphy (@M58193735) February 26, 2022