New Zealand police on Thursday began to forcefully remove hundreds of protesters who have been camping for three days outside parliament in opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions.

Inspired by 13 days of trucker demonstrations in Canada, several thousand people had blocked streets in the capital of Wellington with their vehicles.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told the protesters on Thursday to "move on", saying the demonstration "is not reflective of where the rest of New Zealand is right now."