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A defiant Brian Tamaki says Auckland police knew days in advance about Saturday's motorway protest, contradicting the police version of events that plagued motorists in the city.
Police have said the protest organisers refused to engage with Auckland staff prior to hundreds of people taking to a central motorway.
However the Freedoms and Rights Coalition, founded by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, said today that organisers actively engaged with the Operations Planner for Auckland, Sergeant Joshua Connolly, to plan a safe protest.
This comes after Auckland Central area commander Inspector Graeme Anderson said in a statement that a press release about the protest was only received the night before.
"While the organisers put out a press release the night before, they refused to engage with Auckland Police prior to the protest to provide detail about their intended route and did not divulge this information until the protest began," Anderson said on Saturday.
Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki and other protesters walk along Newton Gully and State Highway 1. Photo / Michael Craig
Anderson described the activity as "reckless" and "extremely disappointing" and said on Sunday that protesters would be formally charged.
In a social media post on Sunday night, the anti-government group thanked police and Sergeant Connolly and revealed email communications that were made.
"Sergeant Connolly sent us several lovely emails last week, and he was super helpful," they wrote.
They went on to quote the sergeant: "Just checking in on how your team is getting on with your traffic management plan? and if there is anything we can assist with?" and "this information will assist Police in ensuring the event is safe and enjoyable for those attending."
"Sergeant Connolly was so easy to work with. He sent us a final email on Friday morning at 6.38am thanking us for supplying the contact details for our personnel in charge of traffic management."
Hundreds of anti-government protesters took to Auckland's State Highway 1 on Saturday. Photo / Michael Craig
The Freedoms and Rights Coalition claims they also received a text from police on Friday thanking them for supplying a full map of the walking route on and off to the motorway.
They said police helped them to pick a spot at Auckland Domain and raised no concerns with the walking route.
"In fact, this time, we didn't hear anything further from the police until 10 minutes before our event started when Sergeant Connolly sent his police buddies along to walk with us, and work with us," they wrote.
On Saturday, the group walked from Auckland Domain to the Southern Motorway.
About noon, police officers established a traffic stop near the motorway on-ramp at Newton Gully as hundreds of protesters walked up the ramp and on to the motorway.
They first walked on to the southbound lanes, stopping traffic, before managing to get on to the northbound lanes near Market Rd, leading to Waka Kotahi NZTA and police closing those lanes as well.
"Now the protest has concluded, we will review the actions of those involved with a view to prosecution for being on the motorway," said Anderson.
"This was reckless behaviour on part of the organisers and participants. I don't know why they would think this was a safe act to undertake, and it had the added consequence of causing disruption to members of the community who were just trying to go about their day."
