Police have taken into custody a 63-year-old man for breaching his bail conditions and in relation to a mass gathering at Auckland Domain.
The man, understood to be Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, is one of four people who police have laid charges against in relation to gatherings on Saturday.
The 63-year-old man has been charged with failing to comply with an order (COVID-19) under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act and Alert Level 3 Order and will also appear before court later on Wednesday for breaching bail conditions.
About 200 people have gathered outside the Henderson Police Station where the man was on Wednesday morning. Some are wearing "Freedom NZ" masks.
Hannah Tamaki, Brian's wife, caught some of the protest on camera on a Facebook live as the crowd chanted. She said: "I hope my hunny comes home tonight".
In Waikato, two men have been summoned to appear in the Hamilton District Court in relation to a mass gathering at Claudelands Park, Hamilton on Saturday.
A 46-year-old man has been charged with failing to comply and will appear on November 17, while a 56-year-old man has been charged with organising a mass gathering and failing to comply and will appear on November 16.
In Northland, a 47-year-old man has been summoned to appear in the Whangārei District Court on October 25 in relation to organising a mass gathering at Kensington Park . The gathering took place when Northland was at alert level 3.
It comes after Brian Tamaki, 63, visited an Auckland police station on Wednesday morning. On Tuesday, he claimed police wanted to charge him with breaching bail conditions imposed on him after he appeared in court last week charged with attending and organising a protest in breach of alert level 3 restrictions. He has pleaded not-guilty to those charges.
Tamaki on Saturday visited the Auckland Domain at the same time as another protest was occuring. About 2000 people turned up for that, with the police labelling the event a "significant breach" of the COVID-19 alert level restrictions, which don't allow for mass gatherings. Current rules permit up to 10 people to meet outdoors from two households.
Following the protest, police confirmed they would take prosecution action against "a number of individual organisers in the coming days".
Police on Wednesday said their investigation into the Auckland Domain gathering on Saturday remained ongoing and could not rule out further enforcement action.
"Police are reminding anyone that there are restrictions in place for regions under Alert level 3, which includes limits on gatherings to weddings, funeral and tangihanga with no more than 10 people.
"Enforcement action will be strongly considered for instances such as these which are in breach of the restrictions."
