Authorities in New Zealand turned to the music of James Blunt on Sunday in an attempt to repel or at least annoy protestors who have been camped outside parliament since Tuesday, protesting the country’s mandatory vaccination policy for a range of frontline public sector employees.
Demonstrators in Wellington had already been bombarded with the 'Macarena', Barry Manilow's greatest hits, Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' and a number of vaccine messages through one of parliament’s loudspeakers when Blunt offered up his discography as a way to move protestors along.
Sharing a news story on Twitter about the protesters being blasted with the music of Manilow, Blunt, who is well known for taking tongue-in-cheek swipes at his reputation as being a disliked musician, wrote: "Give me a shout if this doesn't work @NZPolice".
A few hours later, it seems the message was received when the star's most famous hit 'You're Beautiful' was played over the loudspeaker.
Authorities turned to music after the use of sprinklers failed to move the protesters. Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard seemed to be behind the musical tactics with Mr Mallard asking his Twitter followers on Sunday afternoon for requests on what to play.
The crowd appeared undeterred by the song and instead swayed to Blunt's most famous hit. Previous tunes including viral children's song 'Baby Shark' and Frozen's 'Let it Go' had also been met with dancing or speakers of their own, blasting songs including Twister Sister's 'We're Not Gonna Take It'.
Protesters have since attempted to strike back at Mr Mallard by signing him up as a member of the right-wing opposition party, the ACT Party - and also to Pornhub.
Protesters in Wellington watch as a man does a 'burnout' on his motorcycle as they demonstrate their opposition to coronavirus vaccine mandates. Source: New Zealand Herald/NZME
Mr Mallard told the NZ Herald on Monday morning he received emails from all three groups thanking him for signing up as a member.
He did not know who did it - but suspects it is related to his attempts to disperse the protesters by playing music and COVID-19 messages to them all weekend.
"All three of those are equally unlikely," said Mr Mallard, who added that he had three subscribers on Pornhub within minutes.
Response on Twitter to Mr Mallard’s musical tactics, however, have been mixed.
“I think it’s a bit grotesque for the Speaker to be asking random people off Twitter to psych him up while choosing irritating music to further antagonise protesters,” one user replied.
“It is quintessentially Kiwi. And bloody glorious. Would you prefer batons and tear gas?” another said.
National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis slammed Mr Mallard's actions as "childish and provocative". Now on the seventh day of occupation, the music is no longer playing.
'Freedom Convoy' rallies continue
The protestors were inspired by similar rallies in Canada but the list of grievances has since expanded to include general dissatisfaction with Jacinda Ardern's government.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Wednesday said protesters were free to demonstrate but noted that they were able to do so because the majority of New Zealanders had followed government advice in getting their jabs. About 77 per cent of the population is double vaccinated.
On Monday she said on Radio New Zealand: "I think we all want them to leave."
"Some of our greatest movements have been born of people movements, many of which have entered the forecourts of Parliament.
"But what I'm seeing, it is some kind of imported form of protest. We've seen Trump flags, Canadian flags, people who are moving around the outskirts of the area with masks are being abused.
"Children and young people on their way to school are being abused. Businesses are seeing people occupy their spaces. This is beyond a protest."
Protesters outside Parliament House in Wellington. Source: Getty Images/Marty Melville
Truckers originally converged on Ottawa to demand an end to a vaccination requirement affecting truckers crossing the international border.
But the movement has spread, as the protesters now seek an end to all vaccine mandates.
Ottawa has been the epicentre of protests. Police on Saturday estimated that some 4,000 demonstrators were still occupying the city in the third weekend of the movement.
The atmosphere among protesters has been festive, with music, dancing and constant sounding of air horns, but the noise, obstruction and sometimes rude and aggressive behaviour of demonstrators has harmed area businesses and infuriated many locals.
The truckers' message, however, has resonated more widely than authorities expected.
Trucks parked near Canadian parliament in Ottowa on 11 February, 2022, as part of a protest against vaccine mandates. Source: Anadolu Agency/Kadri Mohamed
A vehicle convoy in the Netherlands brought The Hague's city centre to a standstill in another Canada-style protest.
In Switzerland, hundreds of protesters marched in Zurich to protest COVID-19 restrictions, while several thousand others rallied against them, Swiss media reported. Police used tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.
An estimated 10,000 Australian protesters also marched through the capital Canberra to decry vaccine mandates.
