Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki is expecting thousands to join his Bridge to Better march over the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki is expecting thousands to join his Bridge to Better march over the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Controversial pastor Brian Tamaki says Destiny Church will forge ahead with a protest across the Auckland Harbour Bridge, defying authorities who have denied permission for the group.
Safety concerns led NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to decline an application by The Freedom and Rights Coalition, an umbrella organisation createdby Destiny Church in opposition to the Covid-19 restrictions, to walk the bridge this Saturday.
Speaking to his congregation at Manukau’s Due Drop Events Centre on Sunday, Tamaki said the Bridge to Better protest was the “biggest moment of 2026”.
“The future of New Zealand relies on Destiny,” he said.
“You’re not going on the 31st just to march and go over the bridge, you’re going as Destiny, you’re carrying the future hopes of this country.
“I understand this [march] is so hot that there are three counter-protests against us.”
Brian Tamaki has told his followers that the future of NZ depends on the Destiny Church. Photo / Alex Burton
NZTA said the group’s application to use the bridge was declined because “information provided in the Coalition’s Traffic Management Plan did not meet NZTA’s strict criteria”.
“There is a very high threshold for acceptance of requests to access the bridge for special events,” it said, adding “the bridge is not designed for use by pedestrians”.
“We will meet at Victoria Park at 11am ... The decision will be made then.”
Brian Tamaki told church members the future of New Zealand "relies on Destiny". Photo / Facebook
However, Tamaki’s Sunday message confirmed the group’s intention to walk the bridge.
“You can’t turn up like you are today,” he told parishioners.
“You’ve got to call friends and tell them of the big moment, even if you don’t agree with us, you’ve got to be there.
“Do you like bridge-walking? Come. Do you like big crowds? Do you want to be noisy? Be in the heat of the moment? Get there.”
The protest has been heavily advertised on Facebook by the church’s latest offshoot, anti-immigration group True Patriots of NZ, with posts saying “See you on the bridge”.
A group linked to Brian Tamaki disrupted a march by Sikhs in South Auckland. Photo / Facebook
Police warned anyone considering crossing the bridge on Saturday should “carefully consider their actions”, because they would be breaking the law and “subject to enforcement action”.
The Waitematā District Commander, Superintendent Naila Hassan, today said police are well-placed to respond to any unlawful attempts to access the harbour bridge on foot.
“For operational reasons, we won’t be discussing the specifics of our deployment. However, as always, our focus will be on ensuring safety and minimising any disruption to people going about their business,” she said.
Hassan reiterated that the public has the right to protest, provided it is peaceful and lawful.
However, in the case of the planned march, she said access to the bridge and motorway network on foot has not been permitted by the NZTA.
“Therefore, anyone attempting to do this will be acting unlawfully and will be subject to enforcement action. We strongly urge anyone considering taking part to think about their actions.”
Hassan said that since last month, police have offered to work with organisers to find a suitable location so they can carry out their protest peacefully and lawfully. That offer remains open.
“Organisers are well aware of the police position on the matter and the risks posed to pedestrians, and other law-abiding motorists, should the motorway network be unlawfully accessed,” she said.
Mayor Wayne Brown declined to comment on the Destiny Church’s plan to march across the bridge.
