Messages of love and support have been left for the LGBTQIA+ community after a rainbow crossing was vandalised with paint in Auckland yesterday.
The crosswalk on the iconic Karangahape Rd was smeared with white paint in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Tiffany, who declined to give her full name, told 1News she lives nearby and had decided to take a look at the crossing.
She said she had been expecting to see a crosswalk covered in white paint – only to find supportive messages written on the pavement in chalk.
“You are loved,” one message read. “We support you,” said another.
“There was a young girl there handing out chalk, encouraging people to write on the sidewalk,” Tiffany said.
She said the girl had come to the city from Hastings for the Rainbow Storytime readings.
“She just felt so upset about the crossing being painted over that she wanted to come out and do something,” Tiffany said.
Hastings Library’s Rainbow Storytime event was due to take place on Wednesday but was cancelled after Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki called for protests.
It follows the cancellation of Rotorua Library’s Storytime event last week amid safety concerns.
Tiffany said she was taken aback by how quickly support had risen for her community.
“As someone in the community, I felt quite frustrated to see someone had gone out of their way [to paint the crossing]… I was prepared to be angry but it was nice to see the reaction was swift, the support was swift.”
An Auckland Transport spokesperson told 1News the white paint was removed last night.
“This was done with urgency and fortunately, the crossing’s appearance and function has not been compromised.
“We’ve had some wet weather and we’ll be assessing the crossing on Tuesday when it’s dry to see if any touch-up work is needed.”
The Auckland crossing is the second in New Zealand to be defaced this week, after a crossing in Gisborne was painted over by Destiny Church protesters.
No arrests were made in relation to the Gladstone Rd crossing vandalism, but five were arrested after members of Destiny Church armed with paint cans returned to the crosswalk after it was repainted.
Police said that while a house in Flat Bush has been searched in relation to the Karangahape Rd crosswalk, the vehicle used has not been located.
“We are calling on those responsible for this incident to come forward and speak with us.
“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.”
It’s unknown at this stage if police are also treating the Gladstone Rd vandalism as a hate crime.