CCTV footage has emerged of people pouring buckets of white paint over Karangahape Rd’s rainbow pedestrian crossing early Thursday morning.
Two of the three people are seen throwing paint over the crossing on the iconic Auckland destination while the third films the action.
Multiple cars drove through the crossing while the vandals continued to paint the street.
Police are treating the vandalism as a “hate crime” and executed a search warrant earlier today at an address in East Auckland’s Flat Bush in relation to the incident.
This follows a similar action by Destiny Church members in Gisborne who were protesting a drag queen reading event at the local library.
Police released images of a vehicle and a suspect believed to be linked to the Karangahape Rd incident.
“Police attended an address in Flat Bush, which was believed to be linked to the owners of the registered vehicle.”
Terzlaf said several items of interest were seized, but police are yet to locate the vehicle.
“We are calling on those responsible for this incident to come forward and speak with us.”
Police said they were aware of the “hurt and confusion” from the community at what has occurred and reassured they are committed to holding those involved to account.
“Police have no tolerance for reports of this nature, which appear to directly target a particular sector of our diverse community, and we are treating this as a hate crime,” Tetzlaff said.
Local leaders were “very disappointed” by the act with Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown calling it “disgraceful”.
Destiny Church leader Brain Tamaki earlier said he “doesn’t know” if his members were involved.
Police said the vandals went to great lengths to hide their identities, removing their registration plates and concealing their faces with balaclavas.
In an earlier statement, Tetzlaff said the paint was poured on the crossing at 3.20am.
CCTV footage is being assessed to determine the identity of the vandals and police have released photos of the car and offenders in hopes the public can help as well.
“The vehicle is a distinctive, high gloss grey or white colour, with black roof racks and mag wheels,” Tetzlaff said.
“We have no tolerance for reports of this nature and when it appears to directly target a particular sector of our diverse community.”
Auckland’s rainbow crossing was completed outside St Kevin’s Arcade in 2021, during the city’s Pride Festival. It celebrates diversity and inclusion for LGBTQI+ people.
Auckland Transport infrastructure project manager Mark Banfield said he is “disappointed that people have willfully damaged” the crossing.
“This appalling act of vandalism happened at about 3.20am and we have done our best to minimise the damage.
“The crossing is an important part of the street that celebrates the rainbow community and we will be seeing what can be done to remediate it as soon as possible.”
A photo posted to social media site Reddit around 4am today showed the crossing completely covered in white paint.
However, with rain in the city overnight, the paint has since been smeared along the road by traffic, with most of the rainbow now visible again.
Local leaders ‘very disappointed’, Destiny Church does not confirm involvement
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says the painting is “disgraceful”.
“I’ve got no time for intolerance of people’s differences,” Brown said.
“Plus, this is just another form of graffiti on other people’s property that we will need to spend money fixing, which I hate.”
Auckland Central MP and Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said on X/Twitter that she was in touch with the relevant authorities to have the rainbow crossing fixed “immediately.
“It’s sad and bizarre some people are spending their energy suppressing simple symbols of the visibility and pride of our – my – rainbow community. You can’t paint over our existence. Love always wins.”
Swarbrick told the Herald she was in touch with Auckland Transport and the Karangahape Business Association to “get this fixed immediately”.
Swarbrick said fundamentally the culprits must be “embarrassed on some level” if they are covering their faces like they are.
They will clean up the “silly slash of paint” and come out stronger than ever.
“They don’t know who they are messing with,” Swarbrick said.
Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki doesn’t know if his members were involved.
“I did not have anything to do with that, but it looks like a copycat job because it was painted all white and it was like the Gisborne one,” Tamaki said.
He said the first he heard of the vandalism was on this morning’s news report.
Waitematā local board member and Karangahape resident Richard Northey is “very disappointed” by the paint.
He said the crossing is indicative of the vibrant and tolerant community on the road and to see it covered sends the opposite message.
Northey said he knows most of Auckland stands with the LGBTQI+ community.
Auckland council member Richard Hills said he must stand up against hate.
“Ignorance [and] hateful views do not give people an excuse to erase our identities,” he said.
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