Speaking to The Freedoms & Rights Coalition, the self-proclaimed bishop appears to be taking credit for the gatherings, which may amount to violations of his bail conditions if proven in court.
“A hundred and sixteen protests later, yes I admit, I was behind them all,” Tamaki said in a lengthy speech to a crowd, taped yesterday and posted on social media.
“I hosted them, I dated them. Take that,” he added to cheers from those like the event.
Tamaki is charged with willfully failing to comply with the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act and violating his bail conditions.
His wife Hannah Tamaki was also charged with failing to comply with a Covid-19 order.
They deny the allegations, which Tamaki reiterated in his speech that also covered other political topics.
Auckland Crown attorney Brian Dickey, who has appeared on behalf of the police and opposed some of Tamaki’s bail requests in court, did not comment – save one word – when approached by the Herald about the speech. .
“Interesting,” Dickey said.
Police and Tamaki have not responded to the Herald’s questions and requests for comment.
Tamaki’s attorney, Ron Mansfield QC, also did not respond.
It was unclear in Tamaki’s speech whether he also claimed to be behind the protest that occupied the Parliament grounds and surrounding streets for three weeks in February and March. The Freedoms & Rights Coalition is said to have been present in parliament during the protest.
Legal expert Bill Hodge, a former University of Auckland law professor, told the Herald it was possible that Tamaki would choose to “go in the box” and testify in his own defense at a future trial. .
If this happens, Tamaki may want to take responsibility and be seen as a hero fighting for the rights of all New Zealanders as a defender of civil liberties, Hodge said.
However, Tamaki would then open himself up to cross-examination by prosecutors.
In his speech, Tamaki alluded to his actions as a battle for the Bill of Rights on behalf of every Kiwi.
Because Tamaki is not required to testify at trial, the Crown could attempt to introduce the video as evidence at trial through a witness, Hodge said.
“I would do my best to get hold of the person who made the recording,” Hodge explained from a prosecutor’s position. “Someone who made the recording electronically and can testify that he made it.”
He suspected that the police and the Crown would have such discussions.
Hodge said the case would likely be another intriguing insight into the law of justifiable restrictions on people’s rights, joining other Covid-19-related court decisions on the government’s vaccine mandates and MIQ system.
Tamaki is facing legal action after he was first accused of attending and helping organize an anti-lockdown protest at Auckland Domain last October, which was attended by more than 1,000 people.
Police claimed it violated Covid-19 restrictions at the time.
Messages previously released under the Official Information Act between Tamaki and top police officers – including Commissioner Andrew Coster – show Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha calling for compliance with Covid-19 restrictions at the first protest.
In a text message sent to Tamaki on Oct. 2, Haumaha said: “Brian, you have to tell the people to distance themselves or else they will be violating the health order and the organizers will be held liable for the rally.”
The next day, Tamaki replied and thanked Haumaha for the support of the police.
“I thought it was a great day,” he said.
During last weekend’s speech, Tamaki also claimed that an unnamed minister visited him ahead of the first protest and said the government “wants no protests in New Zealand at all”.
“He said to me, ‘We don’t want Australia here,’” Tamaki added, referring to Melbourne’s days-long Covid-19 protests last year, during which police were reportedly pelted with golf balls and batteries.
“I am your man, there will be no violence as long as I am in charge,” Tamaki told the minister. He proudly told the crowd listening to his speech that “not a single act of violence” had taken place during his protests.
Police have said Tamaki attended protests in Auckland Domain on October 2-16 and November 20. He has also been accused several times of violating his bail conditions.
Some of those conditions include failure to attend or organize a protest in violation of Covid-19 requirements, and failure to access the internet for the purpose of organizing or inciting non-compliance with Covid-19 restrictions.
“I was locked up by extreme bail conditions,” Tamaki said in his speech.
“I couldn’t go to a protest… I couldn’t keep speaking, I couldn’t go online, I couldn’t plan or organize, or incite people to protest. I’m saying all this now, it’s all evidence, I’ve got it had.”
Responding to applause, he also told the crowd: “That’s great, thank you so much, that made the 10 days in solitary confinement disappear.”
In January, Tamaki spent nine days in jail after allegedly violating his bail conditions by speaking at a protest in Christchurch attended by more than 100 people, more than allowed by Covid-19 restrictions at the time.
A 24-hour curfew was imposed as a condition of his release. However, the Supreme Court allowed a variation of the curfew in March so Tamaki could go on vacation.
With open-air gatherings allowed again by then, the chances of him breaking bail by attending an illegal gathering while on vacation was no longer an issue, Justice Mathew Downs ruled.
The Supreme Court decision was followed a week later by a District Court decision to lift the 24-hour curfew and require Tamaki to stay away from Auckland Domain on days when rallies were held.
Tamaki described herself as a “political prisoner” at the time.
The Tamakis have been minor political players for the past two decades.
Hannah Tamaki launched Vision NZ in 2019, but it did not win any seats in the 2020 election after gaining 0.1 percent of the party vote.
The pair also helped launch the Destiny New Zealand party in 2003, which was later deregistered after failing to win seats in the 2005 election.