Northland library sees protest against hosting rainbow event for children

David Foote led a protest against a rainbow event for children at Whangārei Library on Friday. Photos / Mike Dinsdale

Whangārei Library is making no apologies for hosting a rainbow event for children, despite a protest against the show.

Up to 20 people protested outside the library on Friday morning against the hosting of Erika & CoCo Flash's Rainbow Storytime NZ Tour, which performed two shows at the library yesterday.

During the first show from 10am three noise-emitting devices, which had been hidden in the nearby library shelves, went off, making loud buzzing noises. But the show carried on and the 12 children and parents carried on singing, dancing and reading books.

Noise-emitting devices were hidden in bookshelves in Whangārei Library on Friday, going off as a rainbow event for children was held. At the same time a protest against the event was held outside

Library staff will check CCTV footage to see if they can find out who placed the devices on the shelves.

Protest organiser David Foote said the group was against the show - which he described as promoting perversions - being presented to children.

Foote said ratepayer and taxpayer money should not be spent on hosting the show, which he said was to promote a wider agenda.

Foote said if people thought they were a bunch of religious bigots living in the last century his response would be that we should all be living like people did in the past and there would not be as many problems in the world.

Library manager Paula Urlich said she was happy to have the show in the library after it had successfully toured other libraries around the country for the past two years.

Urlich said she had seen nothing but positive feedback from the libraries that had hosted the show - with some of them also seeing protests - and she made no apologies for hosting the event.

A poster advertising the Rainbow Storytime NZ event at Whangārei Library on Friday.

She said the library was proud to be an inclusive place for all to visit and the show covered issues that affected parts of the community.

''When the opportunity came to have the event here, given how well it has been received elsewhere, we thought it would be something we would offer to our community. It is reflective of the diversity we have in our community, and we are here for all people.''

Libraries are traditionally a place to share ideas, knowledge and debate.