'Destiny Church Is Terrorising Communities': Maranga Mai Demands Urgent Action On Hate
Maranga Mai, the Working Group for the People's Action Plan Against Racism condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the escalating campaign of hate and intimidation led by Destiny Church. Destiny Church's violent, racialised, and anti-democratic actions—most recently displayed during a march down Queen Street—pose a clear and present danger to the safety and freedom of marginalised communities in Aotearoa.
On Saturday, Auckland Pride event organisers expressed concern for the safety of rainbow and takatāpui whānau travelling through the city amidst the large Destiny presence. Some attendees reported deliberately concealing rainbow symbols, Muslim participants chose not to wear hijab and members of the Palestinian community hid keffiyeh and flags. Maranga mai member Bianca Ranson reports that the climate of fear was palpable and deliberate.
'These are survival responses to a growing threat' said Ranson, stating that the desecration of sacred cultural taonga like the taiaha, the burning of national flags, the open vilification of ethnic and faith based communities, as well as rainbow and takatāpui whānau, cannot be excused as free speech:
'The actions of Destiny Church are a coordinated campaign of hate, targeting ethnic, faith, rainbow and takatāpui communities with escalating threats and violence. This is not protest nor free speech. This is intimidation. This is harm.'
The working group note that this incident is not isolated but part of a concerning pattern of emboldened racism and far-right extremism in Aotearoa, designed to strike fear into the hearts of specific communities, and charting a pathway towards racialised conflict. Such behaviour directly undermines the vision of tino rangatiratanga, social cohesion and collective safety.
Lead advisor Tina Ngata drew parallels to the racism that has previously been overlooked by the Crown, with disastrous consequences:
'This is exactly the kind of extremist hate speech and actions that foreshadowed the Christchurch Mosque Terrorist Attacks,' said Ngata 'Muslim communities in particular have long borne the brunt of state surveillance and counter-terrorism efforts, often treated as threats rather than people in need of protection. Yet when these same communities are violently targeted by colonial nationalists or Christian fundamentalists, the state repeatedly fails to respond with appropriate urgency. This racist double standard exposes a deep-rooted hypocrisy—where the response to "terrorism" shifts not by the incident, but by the identity of the perpetrator, the identity of the victim, and the politics of power.'
Maranga Mai uphold the vision of a cohesive Aotearoa expressed through te Tiriti o Waitangi, where all communities may peacefully call this place home, where the rangatiratanga of Tangata Whenua is respected, and where all have the rights and opportunities of religious freedom.
The working group acknowledged the statements made by the Minister for Ethnic Communities, the Acting Prime Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition. However, according to working group member Louisa Wall added, rhetoric must be backed with action:
'As faith and ethnic community leaders have reminded the nation, the recommendations of the Royal Commission following the March 15 terror attack remain largely unimplemented. This failure leaves communities vulnerable and enables acts of hate to flourish. The violence enacted in public spaces this weekend is a symptom of deeper structural failures. Without decisive action, the risks faced by racialised and marginalised communities in Aotearoa will only intensify. We call on all leaders—political, faith, iwi, and community—to move beyond statements and commit to transformation.'
Maranga Mai join calls for the following urgent actions:
• A comprehensive cross-party strategy for social cohesion rooted in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with Māori leadership at its core.
• Urgent implementation of recommendations on incitement to racial and religious hatred, as outlined by the Royal Commission.
• Sustainable funding for education, curriculum reform, and community-led initiatives that build anti-racism capability and promote true inclusion.
• Implementation of a national, independent reporting mechanism for racist incidents—currently under development through the People's Action Plan.
• Resourcing and protection for rangatahi, ethnic and faith community leaders, and all those exposed to targeted hate.
Earlier this month, Maranga Mai launched the website for the People's Action Plan Against Racism, including a page with tips for safety and how to respond to racist harm. For anyone impacted by the weekend's events, you may find this advice at https://papara.co.nz/safety/
Maranga mai. Tū mai. Toitū te mana o te tangata.
Maranga Mai
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Leading the crowd is a group of young Māori, a majority of them men, dressed in maro, with red paint on their thighs, stenciled mataora on their faces, and black rākau in their hands. Behind them, six more rows of people – dressed mostly in black Destiny Church apparel – begin to haka in unison. At the conclusion of the fiery haka, supreme leader Brian Tamaki takes the microphone. He speaks to the crowd – which I imagine is mostly made up of bemused onlookers otherwise in the area – about the evils of the world. Several New Zealand flags fly behind him, alongside a banner that reads: 'NZs Official Religion: Christianity'. 'This is the beginning of the pushback from the Commonwealth countries and the Christian nation here in the southern hemisphere,' Tamaki begins. He goes on to talk about how they are taking back their countries from 'evil people' who are trying to take away their 'homes, future and faith'. Over the next 15 minutes, there is mention of wars against religion, other gods attempting to take over, and the price of butter. Tamaki proclaims the national anthem is 'an embarrassment' and says the New Zealand flag isn't flown enough. The whole time Tamaki is speaking, the group behind him gesticulates and posturises – they pull pūkana, wander around with their traditional Māori weapons, and let out cries. Then appear flags: Islam, Palestine, Khalistan, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu, United Nations, World Health Organisation, World Economic Forum, Atheist, Rainbow, and Transgender. One-by-one, each flag is torn in two as Tamaki explains why they are evil. After each flag, a short haka takes place: 'Upokokōhua! Kai a te kurī!' These terms are the equivalent of Māori curse words, the first referring to a boiled head and second to dog's food. To conclude there are two large pieces of paper – the first has 12 different New Zealand news media outlets on it. After a comical attempt by two of Tamaki's followers to light it on fire, the paper is torn in half. Then appears a large printout of the cover of Jacinda Ardern's newest biography A Different Kind of Power, which is also torn in half. Young men circle the remnants, posturing with taiaha, yelling into the camera. It was absurd. But it was also insidious. This is Destiny Church's attempt to break the spirit of these movements and communities. The livestream ends with Tamaki continuing to speak. I don't bother searching for another one. The self-proclaimed apostle would be well aware the number of Destiny Church members dwindles in comparison to these groups. The tearing of flags is nothing more than a symbolic gesture, especially considering a majority of those present were already members of the church. This all would have done little to 'break the spirit' of the movements and organisations Tamaki was condemning. So besides public condemnation, what's the point? 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His entire aesthetic often relies on the illusion that Māoritanga and Christianity are one and the same, and that to be Māori is to support his particular brand of fundamentalism. The result? Viewers unfamiliar with tikanga may associate haka, moko and taiaha with aggression, exclusion and intolerance – rather than with cultural pride, resilience and manaakitanga. I don't deny that some haka are rooted in conflict, but the confusion has real-world consequences. Young people watching that livestream could be left thinking that te ao Māori is inherently anti-queer. That to be proud in their culture, they must also hate Muslims, Buddhists or Hindus. That standing strong as Māori means tearing down others. It's not just hateful. It's a distortion. There's a crucial distinction that Destiny Church refuses to make – perhaps because its entire strategy depends on erasing it. Māori identity is not a religion. Māoritanga is not Christianity. You can be Māori and Muslim. Māori and Buddhist. 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'This is targeted hate.' Melissa Derby, the race relations commissioner, said plainly in a release: 'Brian Tamaki's 'us vs them' narratives are a reckless attack on social cohesion.' This isn't about silencing religion. It's about holding extremists accountable when they misuse platforms, symbols and cultural identities to push hate. Brian Tamaki is free to preach whatever theology he wants in his church. What he doesn't have the right to do is appropriate Māori cultural practices – many of them sacred – and use them as props in a political campaign that seeks to vilify other New Zealanders. That is not religious freedom. That's cultural exploitation. He may believe he's waging a holy war. But from where I'm sitting – watching while he parades young Māori men in maro to tear down rainbow flags – it looks more like a desperate grab for relevance. A play to reinvigorate his crumbling congregation. A last gasp to position himself at the head of a fringe 'Commonwealth crusade' that has no place in a country that values dignity, tolerance and diversity.
