Jacinda Ardern Instagram – At 6am this morning the police began an operation to clear the parliament and surrounding area of an unlawful occupation that has gone on for 22 days. I know that in planning for that operation, the police expected there would be hostility, resistance, and violence. They planned for that, because that it was what they, and wellingtonians have experienced for several weeks. And while they planned for that, it is another thing entirely to witness it. To our frontline police fire and emergency services, you have our deep admiration and thanks. You have been calm but resolute in trying to bring this occupation to a conclusion. It has come at great risk to your personal safety. Thank you for putting others before yourselves. We have all at times felt angry during this occupation. After all, when we are in the middle of a pandemic, have 400 people hospitlisaed and 20,000 people becoming sick in just one day, its almost impossible to comprehend that people would stand opposed to efforts to slow that down, and to help care for our most vulnerable. One day, it will be our job to try and understand how a group of people could succumb to such wild and dangerous mis and disinformation. And while many of us have seen that disinformation, and dismissed it as conspiracy theory, a small portion of our society have not only believed it, they have acted on it in an extreme and violent way. That cannot stand. We have a difficult journey in front of us to address the underlying cause of what we have seen here today. But in doing so, we will never, ever excuse it. (Continued in comments)