We will always respect people's right to protest; it is quite rightly a basic tenet of our democracy, and in my time in Parliament, I've tried to meet as many protesters and petitioners as I can out on the forecourt to hear their concerns. But something was off in this protest from the get-go. There was real animus in the atmosphere. With roads blocked and public transport disrupted, Wellingtonians had no choice but to significantly alter their daily routines and yield their freedoms. The National Party wholeheartedly condemns the behaviour of these protesters. Their behaviour yesterday was not peaceful protest or activism; it was thuggery. We join parties across the Parliament in paying tribute to all of those who have kept us safe and have contributed to bringing the unrest to an end.