Locals in Dargaville have taken to the streets on Wednesday morning to protest the Kaipara District mayor’s “karakia ban”.

Mayor Craig Jepson stopped Kaipara’s first Māori ward councillor Pera Paniora (Te Roroa, Ngāti Whātua) from saying karakia at the start of a council meeting last week.

Jepson’s reasoning at the time was that councils should be secular, multicultural and respect everyone, which meant karakia were not appropriate, he said.

He later walked back his decision following an “open and frank” meeting which resulted in a compromise where each councillor will take turns in opening and closing meetings with a karakia, affirmation, prayer or refection of the day.

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In a statement released last week, Jepson said this was to, “as best as we can, accommodate the needs of all elected members”.

“This issue has been a stressful process for members and family. Councillors acknowledge there will always be contrasting views.

“However, we unite to strengthen our council in a mutual desire to maintain and improve the communities we serve,” Jepson said.

Despite the change of heart, the hikoi has gone ahead, beginning at 8am.

It made its way through town to the Northern Wairoa War Memorial Hall on Hokianga Rd, ahead of the new council’s second full meeting at 9.30am.

Speaking to TVNZ’s Breakfast, Paniora said, although the experience had been “really disappointing and humiliating”, today’s protest was not about her any more.

“It’s about our community and our people having a voice. Democracy is fundamentally about people having the power, people having the voice, and it is very much about that,” she said.

Dame Naida Glavish​ (Ngāti Whātua) former president of the Māori Party and community leader, told Breakfast the purpose of Wednesday’s hikoi was to communicate, “we will no longer tolerate ignorance or arrogance”.

“That is the purpose of today. If he doesn’t get that message, he should step down,” she said.

Glavish said Māori had rights inherited from tūpuna which needed to be respected and, “he can’t just do whatever he likes without conversation first”.

“No way are we going to take that sort of behaviour any more. We can decide who will do a karakia. We have to insist on our rights,” she said.

Glavish urged the new mayor to meet with his constituents and said she’d be “happy to talk to him”.

Jepson has been contacted for comment.