In February 2022 what did the New Zealand government use to try to disperse anti-vax protesters?

The highly publicised trucker protests against vaccine mandates that took place in Ottawa and other parts of Canada during early 2022 have been imitated in Europe and elsewhere.

On 8 February, inspired by the large rallies in Canada, hundreds of protesters arrived in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The so-called "Convoy for Freedom" drove to parliament and blocked streets in their own rally against Covid restrictions.

The authorities tried to get rid of the protesters with water: not using water-cannon, but turning on the water sprinklers on the lawn where the convoy participants had decided to camp. The protesters retaliated by digging trenches and building makeshift drainpipes to re-route the water.

When that failed the authorities tried sound. Parliament Speaker Trevor Mallard’s alternative approach involved blasting out Barry Manilow's greatest hits, including “Mandy” and “Could It Be Magic” on a 15-minute loop, along with the Spanish dance tune, "Macarena.” The demonstrators responded by playing their own choice of songs such as Twisted Sister's “We're Not Gonna Take It.”