An anti-Government protest led by Brian Tamaki taking place while New Zealand is in another COVID-19 case wave has been called "as irresponsible as it is dumb".
In a statement on Friday, the Freedom and Rights Coalition, a group that Tamaki is linked to, said it had planned marches in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch on Saturday against "the declining quality of life and the incompetence of this Government".
Tamaki is known for his involvement in controversial anti-lockdown protests during last year's Delta outbreak and his vocal opposition to COVID-19 mandates.
On Saturday around 1000 people marched from Pukeawa/Auckland Domain to Newmarket and back again, blocking the Southern Motorway between Khyber Pass and Gillies Avenue.
Labour MP Willie Jackson said Tamaki has belittled all the good work Destiny Church has achieved with this "disingenuous false narrative of rights stolen" and blaming the Government for cost of living macroeconomic factors that he suspects Tamaki "neither understands nor can explain".
"I disagree proudly with the offensive characterisation of our COVID response as Nazi-like and pitied many in the crowd for having their fears in these uncertain times manipulated by the Bishop," Jackson wrote in a Facebook post.
"While many continue to selflessly act in a considerate manner for the benefit of everyone by masking up, social distancing and hand washing, these folk are gathering together and allowing their fear to be exploited by a Bishop preaching misinformation."
Jackson said he's supported much of Tamaki's work in Māori communities and he deserves credit for "turning around the lives" of people in New Zealand. But Tamaki's now "gone too far" by leading people onto the motorway.
"Of course while most Kiwis do not agree with anything these protesters are saying we can’t deny them their right to protest," Jackson said.
"And we must, however hard it might be, tolerate their ignorance and continue to engage with these fringes to ensure they are hearing the other side of the story and have a means to climb out of their rabbit holes.
"Our tolerance of dissent is our strength in a democracy, even when the dissent is really stupid."
Tamaki addressed the protesters at Auckland Domain on Saturday, which is where the march started.
"This food crisis and this cost of living crisis has all come out of that Government that's a mess. It's a Government of crisis. What's on a Government comes on its people. They have got to go," he said.
He also told those gathered that democracy died when politicians didn't come out to face those who protested on Parliament's front lawn earlier this year.
"That's the moment that we all should've hopped in our cars, taken your children for an experience and what you do when people try to control, interfere, intrude in your lives, gone down to Wellington and we should've committed a Sri Lanka on them," Tamaki said, referencing the overthrow of the Sri Lankan government.
"We are getting our nation back, we are getting back our freedoms and our rights, we are getting back our future."
Police said earlier on Sunday that they've started the prosecution phase following the protest.
"This will involve reviewing information and evidence to identify those involved in offending - including entering the motorway system on foot and other alleged driving-related offences," Auckland Central Area Commander Inspector Graeme Anderson said.
"At this time we have not arrested and charged, or summoned anyone in relation to yesterday's protest activity in Auckland."
Insp Anderson added police can't give a time frame of how long the prosecution phase will take.
