Len Brown shrugs off lone protester

Protester Penny Bright at the Auckland Council meeting this morning. Photo / Sarah Ivey

A lone protester called on Auckland Mayor Len Brown to step down at the first council meeting of the year.

The woman said Mr Brown was a disgrace to Auckland and did not deserve the trust of people.

Mr Brown shrugged off the interjection as he entered the town hall meeting, saying "good morning, please sit down".

At the last council meeting in December Mr Brown was censured by councillors.

Shortly after the meeting started "anti-corruption" protester Penny Bright tried to speak to the meeting.

She had been denied speaking rights.

Mr Brown adjourned the meeting for five minutes.

This did not stop Ms Bright and another protester Lisa Prager giving their presentations as councillors and officials milled about the council chamber.

Later, veteran protester Dick Cuthbert interrupted the meeting to hold up a chastity belt he had made for the mayor.

The belt featured a yellow padlock with the word `wife' on one side and `rates' on the other, to symbolise the personal and public effect of Mr Brown's affair and his failure to declare free hotel rooms and upgrades, which earned him censure by councillors at the last council meeting on December 19.