Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki and his supporters want only the New Zealand flag flown in this country, and travelled in a convoy from Mercer in Waikato to Auckland Domain for their “Make New Zealand Great Again” rally to share that message.
Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki’s “Make New Zealand Great Again” protest against the flying of flags other than New Zealand’s began south of Auckland this morning.
He wants the Government to declare Christianity “our state religion”, Tamaki told supporters after the convoy.
Tamaki is currently on trial for violating Covid-19 restrictions and could go to jail if found guilty.
Brian Tamaki has taken aim at Kiwis’ patriotism after organising a 56km convoy that disrupted motorists, including when supporters blocked State Highway 1 near Bombay to perform a haka.
The Destiny Church leader’s “Make New Zealand Great Again” rally was in protest of the flying offlags other than New Zealand’s and saw supporters – led by dozens of motorcyclists – drive in an at-times slow-moving convoy between North Waikato’s Mercer and Auckland Domain.
Near Bombay, SH1′s northbound lanes were brought to a halt about 11am when supporters, some wearing “Make New Zealand Great Again” or “Real Men” T-shirts, swarmed the two-lane highway to perform a haka led by eight men in traditional Māori dress.
Dozens of people perform a haka after stopping traffic on State Highway 1 near Bombay this morning. Photo / Screengrab via The Freedom and Rights Coalition Facebook page livestream
Traffic began moving again about 10 minutes later.
Before the convoy, police told the Herald they’d be keeping watch on the convoy. They’ve been contacted for comment on behaviour during the event.
Closer to the city, some in the convoy responded with rude hand gestures – including leaning out of their vehicles to do so – when they saw people waving Palestine and Tino Rangatiratanga flags from the Market Rd overbridge.
Protesters in a convoy organised by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki gesture at people waving Palestine and Tino Rangatiratanga flags from the Market Rd overbridge in Auckland this morning. The Tamaki-organised "Make New Zealand Great Again" convoy from Mercer to Auckland Domain is calling for only the New Zealand flag to be flown in this country. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Tamaki, his wife Hannah and two other Destiny Church members are currently on trial – with the risk of jail and thousands of dollars in fines – for allegedly violating Covid-19 restrictions during lockdown three years ago.
The embattled church leader told a crowd of about 1000 at Auckland Domain following the convoy that New Zealand was “the best country you can live in in the world”.
“But you don’t see Kiwis hang the flags outside their houses or their businesses or in their cars. And yet there are a lot of other flags I see flying in my country that are not this flag.”
Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, with wife Hannah Tamaki, speaks to supporters at Auckland Domain after a convoy between Mercer and central Auckland in opposition to people using flags other than New Zealand's in this country. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
People took New Zealand for granted, Tamaki said.
“They make money out of it. They try and extract its resources, and use it. But they don’t realise this land was given to us … [and] it’s been so abused by politicians.”
Christianity should be “our state religion”, after which the country would “begin to rise again”, he said.
“I would like for the Government to declare that Christianity is our state religion. We have to define who we are and what we believe.”
The Brian Tamaki-organised "Make New Zealand Great Again" protest was against the use of flags other than the New Zealand flag in this country. Pictured are flags promoting newly-elected US president Donald Trump at the protest. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Speaking before Tamaki, City Impact Church co-founder Peter Mortlock told the crowd New Zealand had “gone down the wrong path”.
“The 50s, 60s, 70s were great years in New Zealand … where you didn’t have to lock your house, lock your car, your kids were free to play in the streets.
“There was no crime to speak of, no murders to speak of. Maybe one a year. Now there’s one a day.”
Protesters in a convoy organised by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki calling for only the New Zealand flag to be flown in this country react to seeing Palestine and Tino Rangatiratanga flags being waved from the Market Rd overbridge in Auckland, as the "Make New Zealand Great Again" convoy travelled from Mercer to Auckland Domain.
Photo / Sylvie Whinray
He also criticised the recent Trans and Pregnant documentary on a transgender man having a baby.
“There’s something very wrong with society when that can be funded by New Zealand on Air,” Mortlock said.
Protesters in a convoy organised by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, and which is calling for only the New Zealand flag to be flown in this country, pictured near the Market Rd overbridge on State Highway 1 in Auckland this morning. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
The “Make New Zealand Great Again” protest comes after Auckland roads were clogged during the late-morning peak on Wednesday when thousands marched across Auckland’s Harbour Bridge during Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi in opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill.
Hīkoi participants march in Hamilton on day four of a journey to Wellington to protest various issues, including the Act Party’s Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / Mike Scott
Tamaki, who faces up to six months in prison and thousands of dollars in fines if found guilty of four counts of intentionally failing to comply with the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act, claimed this week the public witnessed “division and hatred” at the Treaty Principles Bill debate and during the hīkoi.
A flag-waving protester pictured in the "Make New Zealand Great Again" convoy from Mercer to Auckland this morning. The convoy was organised by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki and calls for only the New Zealand flag to be flown in this country. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Naila Hassan said there were no significant issues at the hīkoi, part of the journey of thousands of people from around the North Island to Wellington this week.
Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki and his supporters are on their way to Auckland Domain to protest about the use of flags other than New Zealand's official ensign. Photo / Screengrab via The Freedom and Rights Coalition Facebook page livestream
But Tamaki wrote online that “particularly the Māori sovereignty flags, Palestine sovereignty flags and Khalistan (Indian Sikh) sovereignty flags” should be banned.
Tamaki and his supporters have a long history of public protest, including against the Civil Union Act 20 years ago and more recently in relation to Covid-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.
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