Second rainbow crossing covered in paint as police search for masked vandals

It is not known who is behind the latest act of vandalism.

A second rainbow crossing has been vandalised in New Zealand this week, with police issuing a search warrant for a property believed to be linked to the three masked offenders caught on CCTV committing the act.

In the early hours of Thursday morning the individuals poured white paint onto the crossing on Karangahape Road in Auckland, arriving and leaving the scene in a car with no number plates.

Rain washed most of the paint away overnight but a video online showed white paint smeared at length down the street after vehicles unknowingly drove through the wet paint.

The rainbow crossing in Auckland was covered in white paint (left) with three masked vandals arriving in a car with no number plates.
The rainbow crossing on Karangahape Road in Auckland was covered in white paint in the early hours of Thursday morning by masked vandals. Source: Twitter and NZ Police
The rainbow crossing on Karangahape Road in Auckland's CBD.
The pedestrian crossing is usually painted to resemble the LGBTQIA+ flag. Source: Twitter

Nobody has taken responsibility for the vandalism but it is similar to another act carried out almost 500 kilometres away in Gisborne on Monday night, which was carried out by members of Destiny Church in protest of the local library having story-telling sessions hosted by drag queens.

Five members of religious group arrested at Gisborne protest

After Destiny Church members covered the rainbow crossing on Gisborne's Gladstone Road with white paint on Monday, many returned the following afternoon to hold a protest after authorities painted over the vandalism.

Five people involved were reportedly arrested, with a video surfacing online of senior church leader Leighton Packer speaking during the protests.

"We are excluded. When are we allowed to be straight? We have a right to be straight. Where are our straight flags?" she said, before she herself was arrested, which was met with cheers and applause from spectators.

The rainbow crossing on Gladstone Road in Gisborne (right) was painted over using white paint on Monday afternoon (left).
Members of the Destiny Church vandalised the rainbow crossing in Gisborne with white paint on Monday. Source: Facebook and Twitter

Community condemn vandalism of rainbow crossing

There has been an outpouring of anger over the vandalism with it being called "hateful behaviour" online.

Auckland Central MP and Greens Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick called it "sad and bizarre" that members of the community are "suppressing simple symbols of visibility".

"You can’t paint over our existence. Love always wins," she wrote on X.

She said she has been involved with relevant authorities to have the Auckland crossing fixed immediately.

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