A NZ Herald article published yesterday states “Members of the public took to social media to voice their disapproval of the ‘disgusting’ choice” in relation to the US flag flown for AmeriCARna outside the NPDC Civic Centre.
The article doesn’t provide any supporting numbers of how many people approved vs disapproved, to give readers a balanced view and a genuine understanding of actual community sentiment.
A photo published in the same article shows a total of 3 people protesting outside the Civic Centre. The protest was captured and provided to the New Zealand Herald by Reuben Doyle, a local real estate salesperson and administrator of The Ngāmotu Advocate Facebook page.
The page, which claims to cover “positive engaging local content,” contains several posts about the US flag flown during AmeriCARna, accompanied by headlines such as “‘Disgusting’: Outrage as Ngāmotu Mayor flies Stars & Stripes amid Iran attacks” and “What are we telling our children when we fly the American Flag?”
The flag was raised on Tuesday 24th February at the beginning of the festival. US military action on Iran first started on Saturday night, after the festival had already finished. The flag was subsequently removed as planned when Council re-opened on Monday morning.
A spokesperson from New Plymouth District Council said “The American flag was raised ahead of the current conflict in the Middle East and was flown in acknowledgement of AmeriCARna as well as a courtesy to a representative of the American Embassy who was in the district at the time."
"Decisions on which flags are flown at the Civic Centre sit with the district mayor of the day.”
New Plymouth District Mayor Max Brough told The New Zealand Herald: “I understand that people hold strong views on international and political issues, and they are entitled to those views. However, it’s a shame a long‑standing community event that brings enjoyment to many has been drawn into a political debate.”
Brough said the intention was always to take down the American flag on Monday morning, but after the weekend strikes, he emailed the council’s chief executive to ensure it came down in a timely manner.
The council has five flag poles and normally flies the New Zealand and the Tino Rangatiratanga flags, Brough said. The council recently raised the Welsh flag for St David’s Day and will be flying the Pride flag later this month.
Following publication of the New Zealand Herald article, New Plymouth District Councillor John Woodward released a statement in support of the mayor: “Sadly, some clickbait journalism has tried to turn something completely straightforward into controversy regarding the flying of the American flag during Americarna.”
He said it was used purely in support of the spirit of the event. “Nothing more, nothing less. It was about recognising an international-themed car festival that brings visitors, energy and economic benefit to our region.”
Woodward asks “How could the Mayor, Councillors, or Council staff possibly have had any idea that a US-led bombing of Iran would occur on the same weekend?"
"There is simply no way. We should be able to support community events without manufactured outrage overshadowing them.”
An opinion piece subsequently written by Doyle and posted on his page suggests “our city of Ngāmotu risks losing its lustre” and “the decision [to fly the flag] has undeniably cast an unnecessary cloud [over our city].”
It further suggests that the mayor bowed to pressure from “grievance groups” and yielded to a vocal minority, however the article doesn't provide any supporting evidence, and doesn't specify who these groups are or how they relate to the flag.
AmeriCARna has been running in Taranaki for 19 years. Last year it brought 6,270 people into the region, upwards of $5.8 million in visitor expenditure and 34,600 “guest nights” for local accommodation providers. It serves as an important part of Taranaki’s summer event calendar that collectively injects ~$67 million into the local economy.
Far from being a niche interest for wealthy car collectors, the festival is structured as a non-profit through the Taranaki Vehicle Events Trust, with a mission of benefitting the community through free public access and community engagement.
The influx AmeriCARna provides is not confined to New Plymouth, but is distributed across the entire region through the festival’s unique convoy structure, with a significant portion dedicated to “School Routes.”
For many of these schools, the day is transformed into “America Day,” where students dress up, learn about American history and enjoy the exciting atmosphere when the convoy of 600+ classic cars roll past.
This aspect of the event was featured recently on national current affairs show Seven Sharp. A teacher from Central School said on the show “This is one of our highlights of the year. It’s a really good opportunity for the children to get involved in a community event. We’re the first school the cars go past – the drivers are buzzing, we’re buzzing, there’s just this really happy atmosphere.”
Another socially significant aspect of AmeriCARna is the "Rest Home Run." This initiative involves around 100 classic cars visiting aged care facilities around New Plymouth and taking residents for rides, many of whom have limited mobility or social interaction.
The arrival of the cars is usually a highlight of the year for these residents. The vehicles evoke powerful memories and provide a sense of connection to the wider community.
Taranaki Media attended AmeriCARna to capture footage of the event, including the Rest Home Run, which we’ll be releasing over the coming days.
