Wellington mayor seeking security advice after fiery Brian Tamaki video
Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Wellington mayor Tory Whanau is getting security advice after video emerged of controversial pastor Brian Tamaki specifically naming her in a wide-ranging speech that covered mentions of beheading, rainbow crossings, and the term ‘kill ‘em“.
Tamaki, who is coming to Wellington to speak at an event at the Wellington City Council-owned Tākina cente on Saturday, was speaking in Whanganui in a video he posted live on Facebook on Tuesday.
The references were made in relation to legal proceedings taken by Tamaki against rainbow crossings, beginning with WCC, and the words “kill ‘em appeared to be a metaphor for “killing” their legal position.
Speaking form Palmerston North, where he was making another speech on Wednesday night, Tamaki rejected the idea that his fiery speech was a call to violence towards Whanau or anyone else: “The public know we are not violent,” he said.
Video of the speech, which lasts more than 80 minutes, includes references to legal proceedings where he likened himself to the biblical tale of David versus Goliath.
He later told The Post Goliath was not Whanau or any one person but institutions which supported medicalisation such as puberty blockers for children or – in the Wellington City Council’s case – a rainbow pedestrian crossing, which he said he expected a legal win to show it was illegal.
He said his fiery words were one way to get media to pick up what he was saying.
In one section of the video, he says: “This is what we have got to do in this country. We have got to take the head off these things that have been barking in our institutions for years, years, years and years,” he says in the video.
“It’s time to kill ‘em. So I’m on my way down to Wellington to do that.
“I’m picking by the time it is finished you’ll be hearing some things.“
Earlier, talking about rainbow flags and pedestrian crossings as well as the legal proceedings, Tamaki said, “… I want you to know that is your space booked right there next to the two drag queens and Tory Whanau’s head, the mayor of Wellington, they’re all there.”
Whanau confirmed she was aware of the video and said she was seeking security advice.
“This sort of language highlights exactly why I am so concerned about the safety of our rainbow whānau regarding Saturday’s planned event featuring Brian Tamaki.
“Wellington City Council and Te Papa are currently doing a safety assessment to establish whether the event can proceed.
“Brian Tamaki is showing exactly why him, and his organisation, are so dangerous to marginalised groups, and why we need to stand up to this harmful rhetoric.
“There is absolutely no place for this hateful language in our city, let alone our country.”
Te Papa, which manages Te Papa bookings, was on Tuesday looking at cancelling the event.
The group Inflection Point NZ is hosting the Saturday event at Wellington’s Tākina conference centre that it’s describing as a “summit” to stop the Government “gender indoctrination and medicalisation of our children”.
Event organiser Rhys Williams said Tamaki’s statements needed to be taken in the wider context of his speech, in which he was talking about legal action.
“You can cherry pick all day.”
Whanau would be welcome to attend the event and she would be safe, he said.
Tākina had insisted on extra security, as a result of a planned counter-protest and this was costing organisers less than $10,000.
About 300 people had booked with some city councillors looking at attending, he said.
Police have been approached for comment.