A Catholic church in Masterton has come under fire for displaying the controversial slogan all lives matter on its message board.
A Twitter user posted a photo of the slogan on social media, saying it was “pretty disgusting.”
“All lives do not matter until black lives matter. All lives do not matter until brown lives matter,” she wrote.
“It’s not white people being shot because they’re white. Learn what white privilege is. This is tone-deaf and racist.”
In Auckland last week a young woman was yelled at, threatened, and told to go back to her own country after wiping out “it’s okay to be white and all lives matter” that was written in chalk on the ground.
In the video of the exchange, the woman explains people only say all lives matter as a response to black lives matter and says it is a way of erasing black people.
Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon has also condemned the saying, as well as the phrase “it’s okay to be white.”
“The phrases are known to be associated with groups who deny that racism exists or who would minimise its impact…”
“There is no place for that in New Zealand,” Foon said.
Last week, three schools, Marist College in Auckland, St Andrews and Christchurch Girls’ High School in Christchurch came under fire for removing Black Lives Matter posters.
The prime minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday the removal of posters is ultimately a matter for schools but said students should be encouraged to engage with the world around them on both domestic and international issues.
“I’d say that in New Zealand we’d want our young people to be engaged in the issues that are around them, including whether it’s domestically or internationally. Engaged citizens, that’s good for New Zealand,” Ardern said.
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Image: twitter.com