Community Magistrate Fenella Thomas granted interim name suppression to one defendant, a teenager, citing her age.
All others lost their bids for interim suppression but have indicated they will appeal.
Seven people arrested last week for a Destiny Church-linked protest had their first appearance in court today, one month after targeting an Auckland Pride week event.
The hallways of Waitākere District Court were filled with the defendants’ supporters this morning, but only one person at a time was allowed inthe courtroom as they took turns standing in the dock before Community Magistrate Fenella Thomas.
Defence lawyer Bridget Lawler, appearing for Todd Simmonds, KC, asked that each defendant receive interim name suppression.
“There’s been threats to safety – threats to life,” she said. “This is something that has attracted intense media interest. There have already been threats to all seven people.”
Lawler also suggested fair trial rights could be jeopardised if the seven were to be named.
Seven people linked to Destiny Church's Auckland Pride protest appeared in the Waitākere District Court today. Photo / Michael Craig
The magistrate rejected the argument for all but one defendant, a teenager. She allowed all other defendants to be named and granted permission for media to photograph and film the defendants.
She noted the protest had already been widely disseminated on social media.
“The nature of a protest of this type is you willingly exposed yourself to public scrutiny,” she said.
However, the defence indicated it would appeal the decision so the defendants cannot yet be identified.
Those charged include:
a 44-year-old man accused of injures with intent;
a 55-year-old man charged with assault;
a 47-year-old man charged with assault;
a 67-year-old man charged with indecent assault, two counts of assault under the Summary Offences Act and one count of assault under the Crimes Act;
a 50-year-old woman charged with assault;
a 28-year-old woman charged with two counts of assault; and
a 19-year-old woman charged with one count of assault.
The magistrate allowed each defendant to delay entering a plea until their next court appearances, all of which were scheduled for early next month.
Authorities previously said they had been investigating allegations of assault after a group of about 50 people entered the Te Atatū Community Centre last month and refused to leave.
The library there had been hosting a Pride Festival Drag Queen storytime event. A 16-year-old girl swept up in the confrontation – after initially attending a sports event at the venue – suffered a concussion during the fracas, her mother said.
Three Rainbow community supporters stood outside court today with a colourful sign saying “Toitū Takatāpui”.
One of them, Anton Blank, told the Herald he was there to protect LGBT identity from attack.
“Pride Festival is all about love and inclusion.”
Blank was “a little bit apprehensive“ about seeing those charged following the fracas.
“I think it’s really important that we as queer people show that we can fight the hatred with aroha.”
Rainbow community supporters (from left) Anton Blank, John Seagar and Marc Schdroski were at the Waitākere District Court this morning. Photo / Cherie Howie
The trio were not allowed inside, with a court security guard telling them the courtroom was only open to those charged.
They instead moved across the road, where police also spoke to them briefly.
Neither the trio nor the defendants and around 20 of their supporters spoke as those charged left the court soon after.
Asked if they had anything to say, one of the larger group said: “It’s a beautiful day.”
“I want you to storm the library they’re in and shut it down,” Tamaki recalled instructing a church elder.
“There might have been some pushing and shoving, but I would smack someone who was trying to pervert my child in a room.”
The protest elicited criticism from both Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who said the church went “too far”.
Magistrate Thomas allowed each defendant to remain on bail, with conditions they stay away from the community centre and not contact any of the complainants.
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
