They're feeling the heat from me, that's what it is.
In Auckland, the intersection of inflammatory speech and firearm ownership has drawn a sharp legal response: police have seized weapons from Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki following social media posts calling for the 'purging' of Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities from New Zealand. The action reflects a society still carrying the wound of the Christchurch massacre, where words preceded catastrophic violence, and where authorities now weigh the ancient tension between free expression and the duty to protect the vulnerable. Tamaki frames the seizure as persecution; others hear in his language an echo that New Zealand cannot afford to ignore.
- Tamaki's calls to 'purge' religious minorities and burn mosques and temples set off immediate alarm among authorities and communities who remember that the Christchurch attacker used strikingly similar language before killing 51 people.
- Armed police arriving at his garage to remove scoped hunting rifles and a lever-action repeating rifle made the abstract threat of inflammatory rhetoric suddenly, visibly concrete.
- Rather than reckon with the content of his posts, Tamaki redirected blame onto immigrant communities, claiming their complaints — not his own words — had triggered the state's response.
- Police Minister Mark Mitchell called him a 'scared bully,' while the Federation of Islamic Associations described his words as 'verbal bullets of incitement,' pressing authorities toward legal accountability.
- Investigators are now formally assessing whether Tamaki meets the legal standard to possess firearms, with incitement legislation also under consideration, leaving his status — and the broader question of where speech becomes threat — unresolved.
Brian Tamaki turned his own firearms seizure into a livestream, filming officers as they catalogued hunting rifles and a lever-action repeating rifle from his safe. He expressed bewilderment, saying his licence had been suspended two days earlier without warning — a gap that concerned him, since he might have unknowingly broken the law while hunting. He called the operation excessive and positioned himself as a lifelong New Zealander being treated unjustly.
The seizure followed social media posts in which Tamaki had called for New Zealand to 'purge' Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims, and suggested that if churches were being burned abroad, mosques and temples in New Zealand should be burned in retaliation. He framed the posts as commentary on immigration policy and Modi's treatment of Christians in India, insisting they were never genuine threats. In his livestream, he blamed migrant communities for complaining to police, arguing they were simply feeling the pressure of his immigration criticism.
Police confirmed they had served a temporary licence suspension notice at an Auckland address, describing it as routine procedure when a licence holder comes under investigation. Superintendent Shanan Gray said the operation concluded without incident but declined to discuss Tamaki's case specifically.
The response from officials and civil society was pointed. Police Minister Mark Mitchell described Tamaki as a 'scared bully' working to fracture social cohesion, while acknowledging the limits and responsibilities of free speech. The Federation of Islamic Associations called his words 'verbal bullets of incitement,' drawing an explicit parallel to the language used by the Christchurch terrorist before the 2019 massacre that killed 51 people.
Authorities have referred Tamaki's material for legal assessment under incitement legislation. His firearms licence suspension remains in place while investigators determine whether he still meets the standard required to possess weapons.
Brian Tamaki filmed the moment armed police entered his garage and began removing firearms from his safe. The Destiny Church leader posted the video to Facebook, capturing officers cataloguing hunting rifles fitted with scopes and suppressors, along with what appeared to be a lever-action repeating rifle. In the footage, Tamaki expressed bewilderment at the operation. He said his gun licence had been revoked two days prior without any warning from authorities—a gap that troubled him, since he could have unknowingly broken the law by using the weapons while hunting. He characterized the seizure as excessive, emphasizing his identity as a lifelong New Zealander and hunter.
Police confirmed they had served a temporary firearms licence suspension notice at an Auckland address. Superintendent Shanan Gray stated the action occurred without incident and declined to discuss specifics of Tamaki's case. However, Gray noted that such suspensions were routine procedure. When a firearms licence holder comes under investigation, police can temporarily suspend their licence to determine whether they remain fit and proper to possess weapons.
Tamaki's explanation for the seizure pointed outward. He blamed migrant communities for pressuring police, claiming they had complained about him based on inflammatory remarks he had made about mosques and temples—remarks he insisted were never serious threats. Earlier in the month, Tamaki had posted on social media calling for New Zealand to "purge" Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims. In those posts, he referenced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's treatment of Christians in India, then wrote: "I think we should reciprocate in kind. Let's purge New Zealand of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. And, while we're at it, if they're burning churches down, why don't we burn mosques and their temples down? Tit for tat." Tamaki had also announced plans to organize a protest in Auckland timed to coincide with Modi's upcoming visit to the country.
In his livestream response to the seizure, Tamaki reframed the entire episode as evidence that immigrant communities felt threatened by his criticism of immigration policy. "The fact is that they're feeling the heat from me," he said, suggesting his real target was the government's approach to immigration rather than religious minorities themselves.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell had responded to Tamaki's initial posts by describing them as the work of a "scared bully" designed to fracture social cohesion. Mitchell acknowledged New Zealand's commitment to free speech but emphasized the responsibilities that accompany it. The Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand issued a statement characterizing Tamaki's rhetoric as "verbal bullets of incitement and provocation," warning that such language creates conditions for violent extremism. The federation drew an explicit parallel to the Christchurch terrorist attack of March 15, 2019, noting that the attacker had used similar language before carrying out his massacre.
Police said they were actively monitoring the situation and had referred Tamaki's material for legal assessment. Any further action would be considered in accordance with applicable legislation. The temporary suspension of his firearms licence remains in place while authorities investigate whether he meets the legal standard to possess weapons.
Citas Notables
It is obvious that Brian Tamaki's rants and deliberate targeting of ethnic communities are designed to tear at our social fabric to scare and prompt a response from the groups being targeted.— Police Minister Mark Mitchell
Hateful rhetoric and the normalisation of verbal bullets towards religious and ethnic minorities can create conditions for violent extremism. The March 15 terrorist used the same language, and we are seeing history repeating itself.— Federation of the Islamic Associations of New Zealand
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why did police move on this now, after those posts?
The timeline matters. Tamaki made the social media comments calling for a "purge" of religious minorities. Police said they were monitoring and referred it for legal assessment. Then, two days before the seizure, his licence was suspended. The investigation into whether he's fit and proper to hold firearms appears to have moved from monitoring to action.
He claims he didn't know his licence was revoked. Is that plausible?
He says he had no notice, which would mean he could have used the guns illegally without knowing. Whether that's true or a procedural gap is unclear from what we know. But the police action itself—serving the suspension notice and seizing the weapons—that happened without incident.
What's the legal line between his speech and actual danger?
That's the question authorities are wrestling with. Free speech exists, but incitement to violence doesn't. The Islamic federation and others drew a direct line between his language and the Christchurch attack rhetoric. Police are investigating whether his words cross into incitement.
Does Tamaki genuinely believe immigrant communities caused this?
He's framing it that way publicly. But the seizure followed his own posts calling for a purge. Whether he sees the causal chain or is deflecting—that's harder to know from the outside.
What happens next?
Police continue their investigation into whether he remains fit and proper to possess firearms. Legal assessment of the material is underway. The temporary suspension stays in place while that happens.