Fire and Emergency are investigating after a video was posted online of the rude gesture. Video / Supplied
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is investigating after footage of a firefighter making an obscene gesture behind Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s back emerged online.
The video, which was posted to TikTok but has since been removed, shows Luxon speaking with a man wearing a hi-vis vest with the word“fire” on the back and a yellow helmet.
The short clip shows Luxon chatting and gesturing as he speaks to the man in front of a Defence Force helicopter. He then pats the man on the arm before heading towards the chopper, turning back to wave towards the camera for a moment.
The firefighter then turns to the camera and makes an obscene gesture, commonly used to mockingly simulate masturbation.
A spokeswoman for Fire and Emergency said the department “does not condone the behaviour depicted in the video”.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was filmed speaking to the man and patting his arm before the man made a crude gesture behind his back.
It is not clear when or where the video was made, but Luxon has been travelling around the country over the past week in a Defence Force helicopter to visit areas affected by flooding and landslides after tropical storms hit the country on January 21.
Despite being removed from the TikTok account it was originally posted on, the video has been shared widely on other social media sites.
On one Facebook post, the footage had been rewatched over 100,000 times. The majority of comments on the post endorsed the firefighter’s gesture and expressed amusement.
“It’s so condescending the way he paws strangers,” one commenter wrote.
“Give this man a DB! He summed up Luxon in one stroke!” said another.
Others said the exchange was “priceless”, and several others suggested the firefighter would receive a King’s Honour after the election.
The Herald has contacted the person who first posted the video to Tik Tok.
The Prime Minister’s office has not responded to a request for comment.
