To evict anti-vaccination camps in front of Parliament, New Zealand's authorities are resorting to means that, depending on your taste in music, could come across as brutal in their own way.
Instead of using tear gas to flee the demonstrators, they played music by American pop singer Barry Manilow and the popular hit "Macarena" from the 1990s from loudspeakers.
They also used sprinkler systems instead of water cannons.
The measures were used after the capital, Wellington, had expelled the demonstrators from the site.
According to police, up to 3,000 people still gathered on the lawn in front of the parliament building known as the "Beehive" (beehive) over the weekend.
Till Fähnders
Political correspondent for Southeast Asia.
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New Zealand's anti-vaccination activists, like protesters in some other countries, have been influenced by the trucker protest in Canada.
New Zealand had imposed some of the strictest corona measures in the world and thus kept the corona numbers low for a long time.
However, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently announced a plan to gradually open the country to vaccinated people.
There are also strict vaccination mandates nationwide, which mean severe restrictions for the unvaccinated.
The demonstrators drove into the capital in a parade on Tuesday, parked their cars and trucks and pitched tents.
The police later tried to clear the premises and temporarily arrested 122 participants.
According to the police, the camp disrupts traffic and local residents.
The police also fear the rapid spread of the corona virus among the demonstrators, most of whom are not wearing masks.
There is also a lack of sanitary facilities on the site.
District Police Commissioner Corrie Parnell said using loud pop music and sprinklers was not a police tactic.
The measure was thought up by Parliament Speaker Trevor Mallard.
According to press reports, he used a playlist of the 25 "most hated songs".
The demonstrators responded to the noise with the song "We're not gonna take it" by the rock band Twisted Sister.
They had put on rain gear against the sprinklers.