Kerikeri church distances itself from Covid protest event

Kerikeri's Cornerstone Church is distancing itself from a group which held a protest event there last weekend. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A Kerikeri church is distancing itself from a protest event held on its premises when it hired out the venue last weekend.

Cornerstone Church, at the corner of Kerikeri Rd and the Heritage Bypass, was rented out on the Saturday of Labour Weekend by a group calling itself Northland Community Network.

About 250 people attended the three-hour meeting, which called for freedom from autocracy and an end to vaccination mandates.

Committee member Mary Fenton said the group signed up to the terms of use for hiring the church, which included the current level 2 Covid regulations.

However, people stationed at the doors instructed anyone arriving not to use masks, sanitise, practice social distancing or scan the QR code.

Participants described themselves as freedom fighters and came from Kaitaia, Hokianga, Whangārei and Kerikeri.

The group used ''vile language'' during the ''anarchic'' meeting and did not follow the rules they had signed up to.

They were, however, civil to committee members and the minister when he was called in to help.

Volunteers spent until Sunday morning carrying out a deep clean of the church.

Fenton said rumours swirling in Kerikeri that the church had organised or condoned the event were incorrect, she said.

The church, which has also posted a disclaimer on its Facebook page, did not know the content of the meeting beforehand.