Destiny Church protests: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says protestors went ‘too far’

• Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Destiny Church members who disrupted a drag artist’s children’s show and the Auckland Rainbow Parade went “too far”.
• The protest at Te Atatū Community Centre resulted in attendees having to barricade themselves inside.
• Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown and Labour leader Chris Hipkins condemned the actions as unacceptable and intimidating.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Destiny Church protesters went “too far” at Pride events yesterday, while bishop Brian Tamaki told his congregation this morning he gave members the green light to storm the library.

Violence took hold at the library event when members of the church’s Man Up and Legacy groups stormed a community centre to protest the science show hosted by a drag artist.

Destiny Church groups Man Up and Legacy Sisterhood protest against a children's library drag event at Te Atatū Community Centre.

Luxon said it’s important to respect people’s right to free speech and peaceful protest but the Destiny Church protest yesterday went “too far”.

He told media this morning the bottom line is this is a great country that celebrates diversity, and that has made Aotearoa a better place.

Luxon said he would not be attending the Big Gay Out today. However, other National MPs would be there.

Last year, he was met with hostility at the event as pro-Palestine and trans rights protesters confronted him with signs and chants.

He said his decision not to attend was unrelated to this “distraction” and he had enjoyed going in the past.

In a sermon this morning, Tamaki told followers he gave instructions to the church elder in charge of the protest action.

“I want you to storm the library they’re in and shut it down.”

He added: “There might have been some pushing and shoving, but I would smack someone who was trying to pervert my child in a room.”

The melee, which involved youngsters affiliated with the church groups, took place at Te Atatū Community Centre and saw protesters punching, pushing and shoving their way inside.

About 30 toddlers, young children and adults had to be barricaded inside, RNZ reported.

Hours later, the same groups broke through police barricades at the Auckland Rainbow Parade and held up the festivities with a haka. As police dispersed them, they danced and swaggered away, smiling and waving an at unimpressed crowd.

Revellers at the Auckland Rainbow Parade on Ponsonby Rd stand defiant against Destiny Church's Man Up protesters on February 15, 2025. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

Topp Twins weigh in

National treasures the Topp Twins issued a rallying cry to Aotearoa’s rainbow community this morning after a children’s science show hosted by a drag artist was violently disrupted by Destiny Church members in Auckland yesterday.

“We will not be intimidated. We will not stand for violence. We are vibrant, strong, beautiful and loving. We will not go away,” the Topp Twins wrote in a Facebook post.

Auckland Pride, organiser of the event in Te Atatū, said the row had affected participants, council staff, and “will resonate with the wider community, reminding us of the ongoing challenges we face”.

Auckland Pride said: “We are aware that such actions could happen again, and we encourage our communities to remain vigilant when organising and attending events.”

“However, we remain resilient in the face of hate and violence.”

Auckland Rainbow Parade event manager Shaughan Woodcock said pride was born out of protest and it’s not going anywhere.

“Events like the Auckland Rainbow Parade are about love, they’re about unity, inclusion and diversity, and we will keep going and we will keep fighting the fight.”

Woodcock said Brian Tamaki and his team need to understand there is a difference between freedom of speech and hate speech.

“We fully respect the freedom of speech, that’s how pride came about, but hate speech is not acceptable,” Woodcock said.

“There’s no need to incite hatred at a peaceful event.”

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown said Destiny Church’s actions were “totally unacceptable”.

Brown said: “While I respect freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest, to enter a council library facility that is there for all our communities to use and intimidate council staff, volunteers and community members going about their business is completely out of line.”

Destiny Church members broke through police barricades and disrupted the Auckland Rainbow Parade in Central Auckland on February 15, 2025. Image / Mana News Live

“There is absolutely no place for thuggery,” he said.

He said Auckland was home to 1.7 million people from all walks of life, “and I value the diversity of the communities that make up our great city”.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins hit out at Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki.

Hipkins said: “Real men don’t barricade women and children. Real men don’t threaten and intimidate. Real men don’t preach hate. Real men do show respect, compassion and love.”

“Real men are comfortable enough in who they are to celebrate the diversity of others. Brain Tamaki, you are just a boy.”

Tamaki said of the Rainbow Parade disruption on social media: “Our radical young people have had enough! Our Man Up men have had enough! Destiny Church has had enough!”

Speaking to the Herald about the incident in Te Atatū, Tamaki said Man Up was forced to step up and take “peaceful” action against the Government refusing to “address the excessive spending on borderline pornography and perversion targeting out innocent Kiwi kids”.

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