HOT WHEELS: A car parked in Cuba Mall, Wellington was set on fire as part of a protest.

CHAOS: A car parked in Cuba Mall, Wellington is engulfed in smoke.

REMAINS: A car parked in Cuba Mall, Wellington was set on fire this afternoon.

KEEP OUT: Police cordon the area around the burnt out car in Cuba Mall.

PROTEST: A car parked in Cuba Mall, Wellington was set on fire this afternoon.

DOUSED: Firefighters damp down the car set on fire in Wellington's Cuba Mall this afternoon.

FIERY DEBATE: Firefighters damp down the car set on fire in Wellington's Cuba Mall this afternoon.

THINK FAST: Jimi Smith owner of Emporium Vintage Boutique stands with the extinguisher he used to put out a flaming car in Wellington's Cuba mall.

EXPLOSIVE: A car parked in Cuba Mall, Wellington was set on fire as part of a protest.

A protester has been arrested after he lit an explosive and set a car on fire in Cuba Mall today.

Police have charged a 40-year-old man with arson and he is due to appear on Wellington District Court on Monday.

Dozens of people were gathered in the pedestrian only area of the mall when the explosion occurred about 1.30pm.

DANIEL MCKENZIE CHAOS: A car parked in Cuba Mall, Wellington is engulfed in smoke.

A video posted to Facebook shows the moments leading up to the explosion [Warning: Coarse language].

Detective Sergeant Michael Priston said there was no evidence any explosive device was used.

"These actions clearly endangered members of the public who were walking in this busy Mall area.



"Police are taking the behaviour of this man very seriously and the charge reflects his dangerous actions."

"There was a huge bang... the whole thing is burnt to a crisp," said bystander Emma Beer.

"He'd obviously driven the car through the mall, everyone was running to see what happened."

Tweeter Daniel McKenzie said tyres were exploding on the car as firefighters arrived at the scene.

Another video posted on YouTube shows two men attempting to put out the flames with fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived. One of the men was Emporium Vintage Boutique owner Jimi Smith.

Laura Jeffares was at the Mr Bun bakery when the man drove into the mall, before throwing what she thought was an incendiary device into the car.

"It seemed to be politically motivated... the man was yelling [as] he threw the incendiary device into the boot," she said.

The message read "What is fractional reserve banking? Google it!"

Police helped to cordon the area as passers-by crowded around to take photos.