Brian Tamaki

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Opinion

Last night we once again saw MSM spark up about my recent visit to Christchurch, trying to incite even more hatred towards me as they propose that I have broken my bail conditions. They’re pushing the police to try and prosecute me again. They’re trying to apply public pressure against me. It’s time they all got over me! I’m not going away, I’m here to stay!

I attended Saturday’s Family Funday picnic at the request of a good friend, Derek Tait. He has been doing a great job in the far South supporting people, and he had asked that I share a message of hope on Saturday due to the following:

  • Many people are currently struggling in the south as they lose jobs because they are not vaccinated. This is having a particularly harsh and detrimental effect on the mental state of a lot of men who desire to be the breadwinners in their homes but have valid reasons for not being vaccinated.
  • Many business owners are struggling, having lost control of their businesses, having to become the government’s enforcers with their customers and enforcers of vaccine mandates with their staff. This is taking a massive toll on business owners’ demeanour.
  • Many parents and grandparents are rightly concerned for their children with the pending roll-out of vaccines for little junior, and they feel powerless to protect their right to parental consent as the government once against flexes its muscles of control.
  • Many Southerners have had a raw deal with all of the COVID lockdowns and restrictions as they’ve had very few cases in the South Island, but been punished regardless. They’ve felt forgotten and discarded by this government.

I genuinely care about all New Zealanders, I’ve dedicated my life’s work to helping people, so of course, I was more than happy to help my friend out and meet and speak to these incredible Southerners. It defies belief that in New Zealand, me publicly sharing a message of hope, could pose any risk of prosecution, all the while this country is running rife with real criminals that the police should be more focused on like all the gang shootings, murderers, drug dealers, rapists and more.

Mainstream media are lazy. They need to do a better job of understanding the current traffic light settings and even some attempts at proper research would see MSM serve this country much better.

I haven’t broken my bail conditions. I’ve done my best to adhere to the current COVID-19 requirements. Let me explain. My current bail conditions state that I am prohibited from organising, attending, supporting or speaking at any protest in BREACH of Covid-19 requirements. Judges and the NZ Police have repeatedly affirmed that I have a right to protest it just can’t breach the current COVID-19 restrictions in place. I also have a right to freedom of speech.

MSM clearly have not taken the time to understand the current COVID-19 restrictions as it relates to gatherings at the orange traffic light setting, as once again they attempt to vilify me and mislead this country.

MSM reports that you are only allowed 50 people at a gathering. What they are ignorant and ill-informed about is the ability for gatherings to take place with multiple defined spaces of 50 people at the same venue. You can have multiple groups of 50 people at a venue. I’ve even been on a Zoom call with the Prime Minister’s office and prominent church leaders where the PM’s team have discussed this in great detail and confirmed our interpretations of these restrictions.

Read the word’s yourself from the horse’s mouth, as found on the government’s COVID website.

Find the orange traffic light settings for yourself here:

https://covid19.govt.nz/traffic-lights/life-at-orange/gatherings-and-visits-at-orange/public-and-private- gatherings-at-orange/

Take a look at the efforts by the organisers of Saturday’s event. They had laid out and defined spaces like this:

There have been eight events to date in Christchurch led by The Freedoms & Rights Coalition, so why should my attendance now attract any form of consideration by the local police as to whether they should lay any charges. There has been not a single arrest or charge. Can’t you see the hypocrisy?

With all the protests to date that have been led by The Freedoms & Rights Coalition, this is where understanding ‘intent’ is really important. The Crown has the burden to prove there was both ‘intent’ to commit a crime, and then the ‘action’ of committing a crime.

I have seen the organisers working hard for each event to plan and ensure that current COVID-19 guidelines are followed by encouraging those gathered to wear face masks, socially distance, hand sanitising, contact tracing and more. These messages have been repeatedly communicated by MCs over the microphones. If members of the public individually choose to not follow the rules, that’s their personal right, but the organisers should not be held responsible when their ‘intent’ was for the rules to be followed.

Under the new COVID-19 laws that the police are struggling to understand and implement, they also have the burden to ensure they are applying these laws in a FAIR and CONSISTENT manner. However, when it comes to myself, Brian Tamaki, in this country, there seems to be a different set of rules when we see the police applying leniency to the likes of DJ Dimension.

I’m sick and tired of being told by Police and Judges that I have a right to protest, and the right to peace, yet I’m continually singled out, vilified, pursued and prosecuted like I am a criminal. I will not take this harassment lying down. I am fighting for our civil rights and I will continue to fight back with all my might and courage.

I hope my courage gives you the courage to also continue the good fight.

We will not cave. We will not conform. We continue to fight another day to uphold our freedoms and rights.

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