New Zealand police has launched an investigation after a racist graffiti threatning ‘All Indians’ was discovered outside a school gate in Auckland. The incident is said to have triggered widespread outrage and concern among community leaders and residents. The racially abusive message was found on a footpath near the Papatoetoe Central School in the suburb of Papatoetoe on Saturday, before being reported by locals and quickly removed. The incident came a day after three members of the Papatoetoe Ōtara Action Team were reelected on to the Ōtara‑Papatoetoe Local Board, with the Auckland District Court having ordered the election to be held again citing reasons of vote fraud. The Papatoetoe Ōtara Action Team, consisting of Indian New Zealanders, was accused on social media of organising the fraud despite the court finding no evidence of their involvement.Authorities have confirmed of ongoing enquiries with the incident being treated as a hate-motivated offence. The police is in the early stages of investigating but acknowledged the serious impact of such incidents on the Indian community in the area, said Inspector Dave Christofferson to RNZ. “We recognise this will be concerning, and we are focused on identifying those responsible,” he added. The school’s leadership also condemned the message, with principal Raj Dullabh saying the community was “deeply saddened and offended.” The school board emphasised in a statement that racism and hatred had no place in the school or wider society, adding that the wellbeing of students and families remained its top priority. Indian-origin MP Parmjeet Parmar slammed the graffiti as “vile and cowardly” while calling for swift action by the police. She added that such threats were deeply hurtful to a community that contributes significantly to the country across sectors including healthcare, education, IT and small business. The incident has also disturbed the locals, causing fear and distress among families. Harpal Singh Lohi, a long-time resident said he had never seen such behaviour in decades of living in the area. Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward as investigations continue. Recently, anti-Indian sentiment in New Zealand has seen a sharp rise marked by incidents of harassment and public protests. In December 2025, protestors called True Patriots of New Zealand disrupted religious Sikh parades in South Auckland wearing t-shirts with slogans such as ‘Kiwis First’ and ‘Keep NZ, NZ’, while carrying a banner reading, “This is New Zealand not India.” Additionally, earlier this year, RNZ reported that police hate crime data showed people of South Asian descent were the group most targeted by racial abuse.
