The New Zealand parliament building garden manager has discovered cannabis plants growing after protesters camped in this area to protest against the government’s Covid-19 policy.
After a 23-day occupation by protesters, New Zealand’s parliament garden had an “uninvited guest”, which is the cannabis plants growing in the middle of the rose garden.
The gardener confirmed to the national broadcaster ( RNZ ) that these strange plants were indeed cannabis. He believes that the protesters brought their seeds here.
“A lot of seeds were scattered in the garden by the protesters next to the trash and other items they left behind,” the garden manager said.
A security guard at New Zealand’s parliament says these are probably the first cannabis plants ever to grow in the garden.
One protester returned to the garden and told RNZ they had scattered cannabis seeds and a variety of vegetables, tomatoes and fruit trees. They may sprout in the near future and they will monitor further.
The cannabis plants were uprooted and destroyed after New Zealand Speaker Trevor Mallard ordered them removed.
Earlier, thousands of New Zealanders gathered in front of the parliament building to protest against the government’s Covid-19 response policy. The 23-day protest ended with riots and fires.
Protesters demand that the government remove all restrictions on Covid-19. Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government said it would eliminate the requirement for vaccination permits for workers by early April.
The New Zealand government still maintains quite strict restrictive policies to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic. The government said it would gradually ease restrictions when the wave of disease caused by the Omicron mutation peaked in early April.