The Archbishop of Wellington has condemned a sign reading 'All lives matter' that was displayed outside a Catholic Church in Masterton over the weekend.
The message set out on the board outside St Patrick's Catholic Church, has since been vandalised.
It also triggered an angry backlash online.
Cultural experts and anti-racism advocates have labelled it racist, ill-timed and disrespectful, while the Race Relations Commissioner called the sign "provocative".
RNZ's Rachel Thomas has more.