Man to appear in court after scuffle with Muslim men outside court

5:41 pm on 14 June 2019

A scuffle broke out between members of the Muslim community and a person who appeared to make race-related threats outside the High Court in Christchurch today.

Earlier today, a man accused of the Christchurch mosque attacks pleaded not guilty to all 92 charges laid against him - including murder, attempted murder and a terrorism charge at the High Court in Christchurch.

Shooting survivor Mustafa Boztas was speaking to media on Lichfield Street outside the court shortly before 11am, when the Pākehā man approached them shouting race-related comments.

The man had earlier been sitting on a bicycle on the street, playing music with Nazi lyrics though a set of handheld speakers.

A corrections officer intervened when the man approached Mr Boztas and another man, Abdul Aziz, and began yelling.

"There's no need for this," the officer could be heard saying.

The man walked down the street, where he was involved in a second confrontation with another member of the Muslim community, before being led away by the police.

The man, 33, was arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour and was due to appear in Christchurch District Court this afternoon.

Mr Aziz and Mr Boztas said they were not taking any of his comments on board.

Mr Boztas said you can be a good, tax-paying New Zealand resident "and then you get idiots, like this that put you down."

"But we're not that low, you know," he said.

"It's because he hasn't lost any of his family ... that's why he's saying [these things]," Mr Aziz said.