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.