Brian Tamaki & Destiny Church: protests, money and the law

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Brian Tamaki & Destiny Church: protests, money and the law

● Law & Order10 tracked updates

✦ AI Overview

Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church has moved from the pulpit to the streets. Across 2024–2026 the church and its men's movement staged a run of disruptive — at times violent — protests that police, councils and the leaders of both major parties condemned, while long-running questions hang over how much money the church raises and how much its self-styled "Apostle Bishop" personally takes.

[The Policy: Background: Destiny Church (Wikipedia) →](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destiny_Church_(New_Zealand)) · [John Campbell's analysis (1News) →](https://www.1news.co.nz/2025/09/08/john-campbell-the-growing-rage-and-extremity-of-brian-tamaki-and-destiny/)

*This entry records the public, reported conduct of a public figure and organisation. Contested claims are attributed, and Destiny Church's own positions are noted.*

What's happened

Te Atatū library, 15 Feb 2025 — about 50 protesters from Destiny's Man Up and Legacy groups stormed a children's Pride "storytime" at the West Auckland library; roughly 30 children and adults barricaded themselves in a room and the event was cancelled. Police called it "intimidating and unacceptable"; seven people were later charged (including common assault). Tamaki was not charged but publicly said he had directed it.
"Make New Zealand Great Again" march, Nov 2024 — a Destiny convoy blocked State Highway 1 near Bombay, with people running onto the motorway to perform a haka; 20 were fined $250 each for being pedestrians on a motorway.
Flag-burning rally, June 2025 — protesters tore and burned flags (including Palestinian, Islamic and Sikh) and performed a haka after each; the Police Minister condemned the "vile rhetoric".
Sikh Nagar Kirtan processions, Dec 2025 – Jan 2026 — a Destiny offshoot, "True Patriots of NZ", confronted Sikh religious parades in South Auckland and Tauranga, blocking roads with placards reading "This is New Zealand, not India"; the Indian government raised formal concerns.
Firearms seized, June 2026 — police suspended Tamaki's firearms licence and seized his guns after online comments urging New Zealand to "purge" Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. The suspension is temporary, with a 28-day window to make submissions; as of early July 2026 no final decision had been made.

The money

Reporting over the years has put Brian Tamaki's personal income at roughly $950,000–$1.1 million a year (NZ Herald) — salaries from Destiny's Auckland and Rotorua arms plus a personal "First Fruits" offering, an annual October gift to him of up to $500,000. The Auckland church alone has been estimated to raise about $7 million a year in tithes, and the wider Destiny "empire" was valued at around $20 million (ODT). More recently, liquidators' reports for Destiny-linked entities in late 2025 showed debts of about $2.4m and $2.68m to creditors including Inland Revenue (Newsroom). Figures vary by year and source and several are historical — anyone can check a charity's filings on the Charities Register.

The response

Both main party leaders condemned the library storming: PM Christopher Luxon said "that's not the Kiwi way", and Labour's Chris Hipkins said "Brian Tamaki and his thugs need to back off". Auckland Council's chief executive called it "outrageous and unacceptable". Police stopped referring people to Destiny's Man Up and Legacy programmes, and there have been repeated calls to review the church's charitable status — which Destiny has publicly defended.

The haka question

Destiny's men have performed haka while protesting and destroying flags, which Māori commentators criticised as misusing the haka — "cultural theft, not free speech" — with Māori and Pacific leaders weighing in. Footage of a Destiny-style haka even surfaced at a UK anti-immigration protest.

Destiny's side

Tamaki and Destiny frame the protests as defending Christianity, children and free speech, and Tamaki has claimed the firearms seizure is politically motivated, blaming immigrants. Those are his and the church's positions; the facts above are attributed to police, courts, councils and named reporting.

Our suggestion: the charity-status question

A recurring public question is whether a body that repeatedly breaks the law at protests, and whose leader draws a seven-figure personal income from tax-advantaged donations, should keep charitable status. That is an editorial question we put to you below — not a legal finding.

This overview is summarised by AI from public sources. It may contain errors and is a guide, not the definitive record — we welcome corrections.

❓ Our Questions — you decide

Where our research raises a question the policy doesn't answer, we put it to you — these are our questions, not government policy. Your vote stays anonymous even when you sign up (we use sign-up only to send you more things to vote on that you care about), and we report aggregated results only — the country's sentiment, never how any individual voted.

Should an organisation lose its charitable tax status if its members repeatedly break the law during protests?

Should charities be required to publicly disclose how much their leaders are personally paid from donations?

Should a group that repeatedly breaks the law at protests be able to keep its charitable, tax-free status?

Should police be able to suspend a firearms licence over hateful public comments before any conviction?

Should deliberately blocking a lawful religious or cultural procession be a specific criminal offence?

💡 Our Suggestions — ideas to consider

Practical, non-partisan ideas anyone could act on to ease the squeeze — not government policy, just things worth weighing up. Vote the ones you'd back. Your vote stays anonymous even when you sign up; we report aggregated results only.

Check any charity's income and spending yourself on the public Charities Register (charities.govt.nz).

If you see intimidation at a public event, report it to police (111 if urgent, 105 after) and tell the venue.

Support the targeted communities by showing up to their events — Pride, Nagar Kirtan, Diwali.

Faced with a provocation, ethnic leaders suggested a peaceful "turn your backs" response rather than engaging.

Watch past the outrage clip — check the primary sources before you share.

Key milestones

15 Feb 2025news

Man Up storms a children's library event

About 50 protesters from Destiny's Man Up and Legacy groups pushed into Te Atatū Peninsula Library during a children's Pride "storytime" hosted by a drag performer. Around 30 children and adults barricaded themselves in a room and the event was cancelled. Acting District Commander Insp. Simon Walker said the behaviour was "intimidating and unacceptable" and "not a peaceful protest". Police received multiple assault complaints; seven people were later charged (including common assault). Tamaki was not charged but said publicly he had directed it.

RNZ ↗

Feb 2025official

Council condemns it; calls to review charity status

Auckland Council chief executive Phil Wilson called the library protest "outrageous and unacceptable", saying staff were attacked physically and verbally. PM Christopher Luxon said "that's not the Kiwi way"; Labour's Chris Hipkins said "Brian Tamaki and his thugs need to back off". The incident renewed calls to review Destiny Church's charitable (tax-free) status, which the church publicly defended.

RNZ ↗

Nov 2024news

Convoy blocks a motorway — 20 fined

Destiny's "Make New Zealand Great Again" convoy travelled from Mercer to the Auckland Domain in November 2024, protesting the flying of flags other than the New Zealand ensign. It blocked State Highway 1's northbound lanes near Bombay, with people rushing onto the motorway on foot to perform a haka. Police issued 20 people $250 infringement notices for being a pedestrian on a motorway.

1News ↗

Mar 2025official

Police stop referring people to Man Up and Legacy

Following the library protest, police stopped referring people to Destiny Church's Man Up and Legacy programmes, which had previously taken referrals as rehabilitation-style courses.

RNZ ↗

Jun 2025news

Flags burned, haka performed — "weaponising the haka"

At a June 2025 Auckland rally, Destiny protesters tore and set fire to flags including Palestinian, Islamic and Sikh ones, performing a haka after each. The Police Minister condemned the "vile rhetoric". Māori commentators, writing in The Spinoff, called the use of haka "cultural theft, not free speech", and Māori and Pacific leaders weighed in on RNZ.

RNZ ↗

Dec 2025 – Jan 2026news

Sikh religious processions blocked

A Destiny offshoot calling itself "True Patriots of NZ" confronted Sikh Nagar Kirtan processions in South Auckland (20 December 2025) and Tauranga (11 January 2026), blocking roads with placards such as "This is New Zealand, not India" and performing a haka in the parade's path. Ethnic leaders urged a calm "turn your backs" response, and the Indian government formally raised concerns with New Zealand.

RNZ ↗

Late 2025news

The money: a seven-figure income, a $20m "empire", and debts

Reporting has put Brian Tamaki's personal income at roughly $950,000–$1.1m a year (NZ Herald), including a personal annual "First Fruits" offering of up to $500,000. The Auckland church alone has been estimated to raise about $7m a year in tithes, and the wider Destiny "empire" valued near $20m (ODT). In late 2025, liquidators' reports for Destiny-linked entities showed debts of about $2.4m and $2.68m to creditors including Inland Revenue (Newsroom). Figures vary by year and source; the Charities Register holds current filings.

Newsroom ↗

Jun 2026news

Police seize his guns, suspend his firearms licence

In late June 2026 police seized Brian Tamaki's firearms and served a temporary suspension of his firearms licence — which he livestreamed — after online comments urging New Zealand to "purge" Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, and a podcast reference to using a shotgun. Police are assessing whether he remains "fit and proper" to hold a licence; the suspension gives 28 days to make submissions and, as of early July 2026, no final decision had been made. Tamaki called the seizure politically motivated and blamed immigrants.

NZ Herald ↗

Jul 2026news

Police confirm grounds for Tamaki gun-licence suspension; revocation being weighed

Police confirmed the temporary suspension of Brian Tamaki's firearms licence took effect on 26 June 2026 and that they are considering whether to revoke it, having assessed him as not a 'fit and proper' person to hold a licence. The notice cited a 17 June social-media video in which Tamaki said 'let's purge New Zealand of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims', which police said incited violence. If no revocation decision is made within 90 days, the suspension lapses. Tamaki rejected the reasoning, saying 'passionate speech is not hate speech' and that he never incited violence but was making a political argument about the persecution of Christians in India.

'Let's purge NZ': the words that cost Brian Tamaki his gun licence confirmed — Stuff ↗

Ongoing

Public reaction across platforms

Aggregated public reaction — supporters frame it as standing up for faith and free speech; critics see intimidation and hate, and many have shared footage of the haka-and-flag protests. See the conversation and the videos:

Aggregated — individual posts are not cited.

Sources

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