National leader Christopher Luxon says the Government needs to take responsibility for the escalating protests around the country and demonstrate it has a clear strategy to de-escalate. 

More than 30 police officers have lined up outside the gate which allows access behind Parliament, in what is believed to be a response to a call from protesters to form a human chain in the area. 

It is understood protesters had planned to do it at 10am today but they were turned away before allegedly trying again this afternoon. 

Parliament security staff look poised to close the gate into the area but are allowing police vehicles through. 

The back of Parliament is currently the only open-access way into the building for all of the staff inside. 

"The growing occupation of central Wellington includes people showing a flagrant disregard for both the law and other New Zealanders. As the party of law and order, National strongly condemns this behaviour,'' the Opposition leader says. 

"But this is a situation entirely of the Government's own making. 

National Party leader Christopher Luxon. Photo / George Heard 

"Kiwis are rightly frustrated by Labour's 'make it up as you go' approach to Covid which relies far too heavily on controlling all aspects of everyday life, rather than using tools like rapid antigen tests to manage risk and give Kiwis more personal responsibility. 

"After two years of daily briefings the Prime Minister is now conspicuously MIA. Instead, she has backed Trevor Mallard, who did not take police advice and whose actions only served to embolden the protestors and inflame the situation. 

"And now Labour and their associates are trying to put the blame entirely on the Police Commissioner, despite specifically hiring him because of his 'policing by consent' approach. 

"New Zealanders have lost confidence that the Government has a plan to resolve the protest. 

"The Government needs to address the underlying frustration many Kiwis have about their approach to Covid and lack of a plan. 

"Labour needs to be clear with the public. They need to front and talk through the next steps for Covid. And they need to tell us what criteria they will use to determine when mandates can be removed."