An anti-mandate protester says demonstrators are literally making tinfoil hats to protect themselves against flu-like illnesses they baselessly claim could be caused by devices emitting electromagnetic (EMF) radiation.
The development comes after Brad Flutey, a prominent anti-vaxxer and one of the leaders of the anti-mandate protest, posted a video online on Thursday admitting "quite a few" demonstrators had fallen ill.
But despite the Ministry of Health confirming positive COVID-19 cases had been detected among protesters and deeming the protest a location of interest, Flutey denied the virus was the culprit.
He speculated the sickness may instead have been caused by devices emitting EMF radiation. Since then, many protesters have claimed people inside the campgrounds are falling ill, but the cause of their sicknesses is unknown.
"I know people are suffering headaches," one protester said in a video that is circulating Twitter.
The protester claims they are receiving treatment from holistic healers and are passing out resources to combat sickness including earplugs, blankets and tinfoil. That's despite there being no evidence of dangerous EMF radiation on Parliament grounds.
"People are actually making tinfoil hats. Now isn't that funny? But they work, apparently."
The woman said her friend is getting a big roll of tinfoil to make her a hat and they will see if they can inspire everyone to wear them.
In a podcast recorded on Thursday, Flutey clarified his comments about illness at the camp. He said people weren't "really sick" as he'd initially claimed, just "sick".
He denied protesters had contracted coronavirus, but again admitted some were "struggling" with flu-like symptoms, and that he himself had left the protest for eight hours after falling ill.
"Let's call it what it is, flu-like symptoms, we don't know what it is unless you are dumb enough to get a test," Flutey told the podcast.
Flutey claims there are doctors inside the camp that are going around with EMF metres and are concerned about the level of radiation, although Flutey says the levels are usually high around Parliament anyways.
In another video posted to Telegram, a protester can be seen claiming the concrete blocks police had brought in to prevent the protest spreading and free up roads were themselves emitting EMF radiation.
Meanwhile, Wellingtonians are getting increasingly annoyed with the gatherings in Parliament.
The 'Tell the Wellington Protestors to Go Home' petition on Change.org is currently the most popular petition in the country with almost 140,000 signatures at the time of publishing.
A sign in Wellington has been erected in front of the protest that reads: "Selfish c**ts ahead."
