Former Kaitaia teacher charged with rioting, intending to use weapon against police

Former Abundant Life School teacher BJ Natanahira appeared to be throwing pavers at police in footage from the Parliament protests shown on 1News. Photo / supplied

A former teacher at a Far North Christian school has appeared in court charged with rioting and showing intent to use a weapon against police during the Wellington anti-mandate protests.

BillyJames (BJ) Natanahira, of Awanui, appeared in the Kaitaia District Court on Friday on two charges arising from events on March 2, the final day of the month-long protest outside Parliament.

Natanahira, an art and te reo teacher who resigned from Kaitaia's Abundant Life School when vaccine mandates were introduced last November, recorded a series of livestreams on social media from Parliament grounds that day.

In one of those livestreams he admitted throwing bricks at police.

The 49-year-old was also captured on TV footage, broadcast on 1News, that appeared to show him throwing pavers at police officers.

Natanahira was charged with taking part in a riot and "while assaulting police, had in his possession a weapon, namely concrete pavers, in circumstances that prima facie showed an intention to use it".

He was granted bail and is due in the Wellington District Court for a list hearing on August 15.

When approached earlier by the Northland Age, Natanahira confirmed he had attended the protest.

He said he planned a road trip to Wellington for months but the decision to attend the protest was a spontaneous one.

He claimed he had been shot at twice by police while helping an elderly woman off the ground.

Natanahira said he tried to remain calm but "turned into an idiot" and retaliated.

"I knew it was a one-off moment, but I'd seen so much unnecessary brutality that I thought, this is not on. I could understand why people were reacting the way they were, but I still didn't think I'd get caught up as I did," he told the Age.

He said he immediately regretted throwing the pavers, describing it as "a moment of madness", and was now living with the consequences.

After the footage screened on TV, parents at the school contacted the Northland Age to express their disappointment.

Last month, well after Natanahira was identified, police released a series of images of people they said had been involved in the March 2 riot but whose identities were not yet known.

According to police, 89 people were arrested on March 2. Another 11 were arrested on March 3 on charges including arson, grievous bodily harm, inciting violence, theft, assault, trespass and obstruction.

In February the High Court quashed the Covid-19 vaccine mandates for police and Defence Force staff after finding the vaccination order breached the Bill of Rights Act.

However, similar court action in April on behalf of teachers and health professionals, led by Kaikohe Christian School board of trustees representative Mike Shaw, failed. In that case the High Court found vaccine mandates were justified.

Natanahira is an accomplished artist whose works include the new gateway sculpture at Ahipara, part of a PGF-funded upgrade of Kaitaia, Awanui and Ahipara.

He has been contacted for comment.