‘Vaccine Passports Equal Apartheid’:Covid-19 and Parliamentary Occupation in Aotearoa New Zealand

The success of Aotearoa New Zealand in preventing the spread of the Covid-19 virus was lauded internationally. Domestically, the reception was more complex, as the restrictions and guidelines introduced had considerable social and economic impacts. This profile focuses on the February 2022 occupation of the Parliament grounds in Wellington as the most visible manifestation of discontent. It examines the actors involved and how they attempted to draw on local cultural histories to justify their actions and make them recognisable to observers. The profile concludes by considering the potential legacy of the occupation and the forces it represented.