Amid Auckland lockdown, Erebus memorial critics pitch tents in protest at Parnell park

Protestors against the national Erebus memorial have put up tents in Auckland’s Parnell Rose Garden.

Because Auckland is currently under Covid-19 Alert Level 3 restrictions, it was a socially distanced effort with only a few tents up this afternoon.

Dame Naida Glavish says the 95-square-metre "monstrosity" will strip away Māori history at an old pa she knows as Mataharehare.

However, it puts her in opposition to Ngāti Whātua Orakei. That hapu says it is completely in support of the project.

The Ministry of Culture and Heritage says the families of those who lost loved ones at Erebus remain at the heart of the memorial.