Protesters set up near Kuirau Park

A group of protesters have gathered at Kuirau Park. Photo / NZME

A large group of protesters with signs saying "free to live", "free 2 choose" and "freedom reigns" has gathered at Kuirau Park today.

A journalist at the scene said there were more than a hundred people at the event, with some groups setting up gazebos and foldable chairs. Some people were wearing masks but most were not.

Music was playing from speakers, and some people were handing out pamphlets, she said.

A rugby ball was being thrown around and some people did not appear to be socially distanced.

A Covid-19 contact tracing QR code was set up at the event, along with a sign-in book and hand sanitiser.

A similar rally was happening today in Auckland at the War Memorial Museum, with as many as 2000 anti-lockdown protesters gathering.

The NZ Herald reported that Brian Tamaki took to the stage about 11.20 and thanked those who had gathered.

Tamaki thanked the New Zealand police for working with him today to make it a peaceful but powerful day.

Tamaki's message to the Government was: "We've had a gutsful".

The protesters who showed up today were bringing an important message that "we are taking back our country", he said.

"Today we are facing a Government we thought we could trust. Instead they are stripping away the freedoms a rights of everyday Kiwis."

He said he believed the Government didn't know what to do next and has run out of ideas.

Earlier this week Auckland Mayor Phil Goff slammed Tamaki as an "idiot", following revelations he was planning the protest.

"So many Aucklanders have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to try to get rid of this virus. These people seem to be working in the opposite direction. That's not good enough," Goff told Newstalk ZB.

Goff said he wished there was "some element of common sense" from Tamaki.

"Our police have got so many things that they need to be doing fighting crime, they don't need to be wasting their time dealing with idiots.

"We've seen it in the United States and we've seen it in Australia and Melbourne recently and we've all thought most of New Zealand is more sensible than that - they follow common sense and they're not extreme," Goff said.

At alert level 2, events can go ahead but with restrictions on the number of people who can attend or enter event facilities — for example, stadiums, cinemas and casinos.
If you go to an event, you must keep 1 metre apart from people you do not know.
You must wear a face covering.

Stadiums, cinemas and casinos can have a maximum of 100 people in any indoor or outdoor defined space.