[ad_1]
A Christchurch man occupied the entrance of a Christchurch bus on Monday in an apparent protest against the government’s mandatory mask rule on public transport under alert level 2.
Your playlist will load after this announcement.
Adam Nuttall stopped a bus for more than an hour, he said, in protest against the government asking passengers to wear masks. Source: Adam Nuttall / YouTube
The order requires passengers on public transportation to wear face covers to help stop the possible spread of Covid-19, with a small number of exemptions.
In a video posted online Monday, a man identifying himself as Adam Nuttall can be seen getting on a bus and then “occupying” the entrance, before asking the driver and station staff to call the police to impose a fine.
The video begins with a quote from the black American civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger.
The bus driver can be heard telling Mr. Nuttall that he can simply board the bus, but he refuses and insists that the police be called.
A passenger, passing Mr. Nuttall to board the bus, told him to “stop being a selfish idiot.”
In the caption for the video, Mr. Nuttall wrote that “until the claimed mandate is proven in court, then Cindy (Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern) tells us what to do.
“This is not how laws are made in a free and democratic society.”
A woman who was with Mr. Nuttall during the incident could be heard saying “they are just rules, they are not laws.”
The requirement enters the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Alert Level Requirements) Order 2020, Clause 27, which entered into force at 11:59 p.m. on August 30.
The fine for refusing to wear a mask on public transportation is a fine of $ 300, which increases to $ 1000 if the matter goes to court.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins has said that enforcement of the rule will be “a light touch”, and that police will focus on education and awareness for the first few days.
Nuttall said that the police had not attended after an hour of his “occupation”, but shortly after leaving the bus station, the police approached him.
The facility was invaded, but police said they “have no plans” to award the fine to Nuttall.
Environment Canterbury operates bus service in Christchurch, and a spokesperson said the incident was disappointing.
“While this is a disappointing incident, the vast majority of our passengers have been doing the right thing and covering their faces as needed,” he said.
“We are following central government guidelines on implementing the mandatory face covering rule. While our drivers may remind passengers to cover their faces when boarding, there are some exemptions to this rule and our drivers are not required to enforce the wearing of masks and not other passengers.
“We depend on everyone taking personal responsibility for their individual situations.”
