Carloads of Tauranga people are driving to Auckland this morning to protest at the signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement at the Sky City Casino.

From the TPPA Action Tauranga, they will be joining what one of the organisers expects will be a crowd of at least 10,000 people expected to begin marching down Queen Street at noon.

TPPA protests are taking place around the country.

Barry Coates from It's Our Future, says they are planning a ‘family friendly' protest march.

'We are marching from Aotea Square at the top of Queen Street down to the bottom at Brittomart. We will be assembling at mid-day,” says Barry.

'It will be a peaceful family affair, lots of colour, lots of passion, lots of anger against the government but entirely non-violent. We are not going up to Sky City. We respect the rights of other protestors to do so, but we are a safe and family friendly march.”

People are outraged that the government is not listening. Opinion polls say the majority of people don't want the TPPA, says Barry.

'We‘ve had one referendum on the flag and we are going to have another one. But we haven't had a referendum on the TPPA, so there needs to be democracy around this agreement and that's why we are getting a big march of people who can carry that message.”

Pro-democracy group ‘Real Choice' has a different agenda. It's planning a demonstration at Sky City to shut down the signing ceremony.

The groups plans blocking the streets leading to the Sky City Convention Centre where dignitaries of 12 countries are meeting to sign and agree to the terms of the TPPA.

In anticipation of an armed police presence, Real Choice plans to use tactics of non-violent civil disobedience, forming human blockades by linking arms and passive resistance to hold the TPPA Free Zone for as long as they can, says Real Choice Spokesperson Julia Espinoza on the site's facebook page.

'Petitions, marches and lobbying have their place; but now the TPP is being signed on our doorstep, and we feel it is time to try to shut it down and create a TPPA Free Zone,” says Julia.

'This deal was negotiated in secret, which we feel was undemocratic - and since the release of the final document the government is still attempting to shut the door on democracy by ignoring the growing opposition of an informed public.”

Meanwhile, on Facebook Tauranga resident Yvette Rhia is calling for those who cannot make it to Auckland to strike in protest.

'Take a break from everything you should be doing & make a stand against our goverment!! Stay home from work, keep kids home from school/daycare etc, don't go to uni/tech, appointments, court, shopping,” says a post on Facebook.

'If it's not urgent just don't do it lol!! I have seen so many people complaining lately that either can't be bothered doing something about it or don't know how to so this could be an easy way of causing a public outcry that may actually be heard!

'I challenge you to help bring Aotearoa to a standstill in protest of the TPPA signing.”