Minto criticises council move to charge protesters $50k

Activist John Minto says Christchurch City Council's attempt to seek costs from protest leaders over the anti-mandate protests is "setting a match to democratic freedoms".

• This story was first published by RNZ

The city council is chasing the protestors for $50,000 for costs incurred during rallies in the city.

In a series of invoices, the council billed the local branch of the Freedoms and Rights Coalition, which is linked to Brian Tamaki's Destiny Church, for the cost of traffic control.

But so far no one has paid up. And Minto isn't convinced it was the right move to charge them in the first place.

"I'm not aware of any council anywhere in the country charging anybody for traffic management over the last 50 years," Minto said.

"The council has no role in moderating civil and political rights."

He said the protest was irresponsible, but they were exercising their right.

"And even if we disagree with what they did, and how they did it, there's no way the council should be trying to charge them $50,000."