Experts say pandemic pressures have contributed to a huge increase in abuse and antisocial behaviour

Faced with a rising tide of acrimony, rage, and online crankiness, New Zealand has launched a nationwide campaign to try to calm its citizenry down.

Over the summer, pastel posters began cropping up around the cities, asking New Zealanders to “dial it down a notch,” “read it before you hit enter,” and “comment with dignity”. Cartoon characters entreat keyboard warriors to take a breath, and consider “what would your mother say?”

The government couldn’t attempt to meet their demands because they were endless and, frankly, psychotic

• New Zealand police clash with anti-vaccine protesters at parliament, over 120 arrested

And so it ends as it began – in farce. On Thursday morning hundreds of police officers made their move against the “freedom convoy”, a tiny racket of anti-vaxxers, anti-mandaters, and proud fascists who were camping on parliament’s lawn to protest, well, something. Some were arguing for the efficacy of the immune system over the vaccine, as if the mRNA jab does something other than train said immune system. A good number were calling for citizens’ arrests against prime minister Jacinda Ardern and health minister Andrew Little for crimes unknown. And at least a handful were prosecuting their QAnon conspiracies. At the last major “freedom” protest Q’s supporters were on the ground to argue that the prime minister is already under arrest and wears an ankle bracelet to prove it.

With this catalogue of complaints it was impossible for police to do anything other than remove the convoy-cum-campers. In normal circumstances protesters arrive in the capital with a concrete demand whether it’s ending student fees, repealing the Foreshore and Seabed Act, or opposing the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. But the “freedom” convoy came to town as simple catharsis. There were the anti-vaxxers and anti-mandates types, who range from American-style conspiracists to misguided anarchists, but alongside those familiar archetypes were evangelical church leaders, Steve Bannon-backed Counterspin media “journalists”, and people calling for tino rangatiratanga (Māori sovereignty).

Prime minister says number of people who get booster vaccines will dictate how high the peak will be

As New Zealand hits new records for daily case numbers, prime minister Jacinda Ardern has said she expects Omicron infections to start peaking in late March.

The country reported 202 cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, following several days of numbers sitting around the 200 mark – including a record 243 cases on Saturday. The past seven days are among the highest weeks of case numbers since the pandemic began.