Hundreds protest in New Zealand against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination

By Islamuddin Sajid

ANKARA (AA) - Hundreds of people in New Zealand on Tuesday gathered near the country's parliament and protested against the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, state-run media reported.

Protesters from across the country reached the parliament in Wellington in a vehicle convoy, according to Radio New Zealand.

The protesters said the government has breached their rights by making the anti-coronavirus vaccines mandatory.

They demanded the government end all mandates and COVID-19 restrictions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern refused to meet the protesters, saying she would not hold any meeting with them at the parliament.

“Lockdowns meant people sacrificed some of their usual rights and abilities to keep others safe,” RNZ quoted the premier as saying.

- Australian political leaders apologize over harassment

Meanwhile, the Australian political leaders apologized on Tuesday to those who experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault, or bullying while working in the parliament.

Speaking at the parliament, Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised the speaker for a statement and said he acknowledge Brittany Higgins who raised the issue.

“I am sorry. We are sorry. I’m sorry to Ms. Higgins for the terrible things that took place here,” he said.

“And the place that should have been a place of safety and contribution turned out to be a nightmare. But I am sorry for far more than that – for all of those who came before Ms. Higgins and endured the same. But she had the courage to stand, and so here we are.”

“So, we are sorry for all of these things. And in doing so, each of us takes accountability for changing these things,” he said.

He also thanked Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins for her investigation.

Last year in November, Kate Jenkins submitted after a seven-month investigation detailed experiences of people working at the Australian parliament, also known as Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces.

The high-profile inquiry into parliament’s workplace culture was formed after parliamentary staffer Brittany Higgins alleged that she was raped in a ministerial office in 2019.

According to the report, 37% of respondents had personally experienced bullying, 33% had personally experienced sexual harassment, with 1% experiencing an actual or attempted sexual assault.

The review found gender inequality, power imbalance, and a lack of accountability as the key drivers of bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual assault within parliamentary workplaces.

After interviewing over 1,723 individuals and 33 organizations, the report submitted in the federal parliament made 28 recommendations for reform. They include a joint Statement of Acknowledgement that owns and accepts the problem, establishing a new Office for Staffing and Culture to support parliamentarians, and the creation of an Independent Parliamentary Standards to hold people to account for misconduct.