Mana Movement leader Hone Harawira says police closing down his iwi-led Covid-19 information checkpoint is "dumb" when thousands of people will likely stream into Northland in the two upcoming long weekends.
Harawira organised an unofficial checkpoint to be set up on the side of the road at Waiomo, between Whangārei and Kerikeri.
The checkpoint was not turning anyone away - just offering information about the risk of Covid-19 spreading to Northland, and advice on the symptoms to watch out for and where to get tested if necessary.
The setting up of the checkpoint came after three community Covid-19 cases were confirmed this week. A woman from Northland and a man and his daughter all tested positive for virus after completing their managed isolation stays in Auckland's Pullman Hotel.
Police, however, shut the checkpoint down yesterday, with a spokesperson saying they "respect and recognise the good intentions of the group however while New Zealand remains in Alert Level 1 police do not believe there is any requirement for checkpoints at this time".
Hone Harawira of Te Tai Tokerau Border Control spoke to 1 NEWS. (Source: Other)
Speaking this morning to Breakfast, Harawira called the actions of police "dumb" and suggested they "wise up" and "go chase some criminals".
He said he had made it clear to police that they were not impeding anyone from travelling to Northland, just offering useful information around keeping safe from Covid-19.
With the Auckland Anniversary long weekend this week and the Waitangi long weekend next week, Harawira said many people will be coming to Northland.
"There's a massive scramble to look after our kaumatua and kuia as tens of thousands of people head up from Auckland," Harawira said.
"Testing facilities north of Whangārei will be non-existent during the weekend - it's a huge concern.
"If you're feeling unwell, don't try to hang on until you see your doctor back in Auckland - go and see somebody while you're up here.
"Nobody else is providing this information to anybody, so we decided to set the checkpoints up again."
Harawira said all he wanted from police was for them to "let us get on with the job of trying to let as many people coming into the north as possible know that we are concerned for our kaumatua and kuia and we are concerned that they have enough information to keep themselves and the rest of the community safe.
"It's every community's job to do what it can to protect particularly its most vulnerable members," he said.
Harawira ended his interview on Breakfast by predicting, without evidence, that New Zealand would go back into "a level 4 lockdown very, very soon because this is getting out of hand and I think government is talking comfortably, but I think they're starting to lose control with what's happening with this".
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