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Destiny Church bikers will continue to wear their Tu Tangata leather vests because “they are korowai, not gang patches”, says church matriarch Hannah Tamaki.��

New legislation on Monday��outlawed the wearing of gang patches in public, and offenders who break that ban could be fined up to $5000 or jailed for six months. The gang patch ban extends to funerals and tangi.��

Tamaki told the��Herald��the 90 bikers who ride under Destiny Church’s Tu Tangata Iwi Tapu patch would continue in the church colours.��

Half of the 90��Destiny bikers��were former gang members who traded their Black Power and Mongrel Mob patches for the religious insignia.��

“We don’t consider Tu Tangata Iwi Tapu a patch or a gang. It’s a korowai,” Tamaki said.��

The Tu Tangata, Iwi Tapu bikers on a bike run.��

A korowai is a traditional woven Māori cloak and is worn as a mantle of prestige and honour.��

“It’s only worn for special events and as a group, it is not for everyday wear.��

“There are bike clubs also who only wear their vests on organised rides and tangi.��

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“This Government has shown its true colours with the scrapping of the Māori Health Authority and its anti-Māori agenda with the gang patches.��

“But we will stand up to it.”��

The Tu Tangata Riders.��

Brian Tamaki also fired a warning shot to Police Minister Mark Mitchell.��

“There is a fine line as well between criminal gangs and law-abiding citizens,” Tamaki said.��

“All sorts of clubs and groups have uniformed insignia and to be pulled up by police and told to remove tops, jackets, tees will contravene our rights.��

“A few can’t ruin it for the many and I think Police Minister Mark Mitchell needs to be clear that Tu Tangata Iwi Tapu Riders is accomplishing huge work in turning the lives of these gangsters around.��

“In fact, National’s worry about gang membership rising should be encouraging them to wear the Tu Tangata Korowai - it’s reforming gangsters quicker than government agencies.”��

But he also agreed with the gang patch ban.��

“I agree the gang patches have to go. They instill fear and recklessness,” Tamaki said.��

The Destiny bikers were in Hawke’s Bay last week for a memorial ride to mark one year since Cyclone Gabrielle. Tamaki said the group were warmly welcomed by locals.��

“Our last weekend ride was a memorial ride for the Bay, a year on from Cyclone Gabriel. It was a great time to catch up and hear how the people in the flood-hit places are doing.��

“A year on, there is still a lot of mahi to be done.��

“Many whānau are still working through some challenges.”��

Hawke’s Bay community advocate and lifetime Black Power member Denis O’Reilly said Tamaki’s people did some fantastic work following the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle.��

He met with the Tu Tangata riding group last month.��

O’Reilly said the new gang patch ban was pure politics and theatrics to appease the masses.��

Joseph Los’e is an award-winning journalist and joined ��һ�ǿ����� in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday ��һ�ǿ����� newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and prior to joining ��һ�ǿ����� worked for Whānau Waipareira.��