Around 200 members of New Zealand's Kurdish community have rallied in downtown Auckland, in protest against the advance of Islamic State.
Members of New Zealand's Kurdish community want more humanitarian support and weaponry to fight Islamic State Photo: RNZ / Lauren Baker
They called for more humanitarian support and weaponry to be sent to those fighting the miitants.
The rally included adults carrying bloodied bundles of clothes, representing children who have died in attacks by Islamic State.
A community leader, Sarkawt Abdullazada, said Kurdish people are providing the frontline defence in Syria and Iraq, but need more international help.
"We're fighting ISIS on behalf of the whole world. We need humanitarian support and also our Kurdish fighters they're ready to die for our land, but we lack weapons, and that's another thing we want the New Zealand government to help us with."
Islamic State militants have taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Kurdish militia have been battling Islamic State fighters around the Syrian city of Kobane on the border with Turkey for a number of weeks and up to 200,000 Syrian Kurds have been forced to flee into Turkey.
The New Zealand Government is waiting for more advice from the Defence Force and the Foreign Affairs officials on what action New Zealand might take against Islamic State as other countries step up military action.
