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2020 was an eventful year for New Zealand's far-right, and shows we still have a lot of work to do countering racism and preventing further acts of terrorism. Heres a thread recounting the events of the year
In January, charges were laid against an active duty soldier who as a member of a far-right group. The pandemic has delayed his court martial but we now know he is being charged with espionage https://www.newsroom.co.nz/charges-filed-in-case-of-far-right-soldier
In February, groups like FAIR (Foundation Against Islamophobia and Racism) and the New Zealand Holocaust Centre held @dbseymour to account for accepting a donation from a man who threatened to "destroy mosque after mosque until they take me out" https://www.newsroom.co.nz/calls-for-act-to-return-far-right-donation
In March we learned that a member of the white nationalist group Action Zealandia had planned to set up terror cells in New Zealand and had communicated with far-right terror groups overseas https://www.newsroom.co.nz/action-zealandia-member-planned-terror-cell
The Australian anti-fascist group The White Rose Society identified that man as Max Newsome, a former NZDF soldier https://thewhiterosesociety.writeas.com/max-newsome-matt-and-action-zealandia
That same month another Action Zealandia member, Sam Brittenden of Christchurch, was arrested in relation to a threat to Al Noor Masjid in the lead up to the anniversary of the shooting that took place in 2019 https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-christchurch/al-noor-mosque-threat-teen-court-after-police-raid
In June, an army reservist, James Fairburn, was identified as a leading member of Action Zealandia.
The NZDF seems to have a fascist problem https://www.newsroom.co.nz/army-reservist-linked-to-far-right-group
The NZDF seems to have a fascist problem https://www.newsroom.co.nz/army-reservist-linked-to-far-right-group
Despite all this, @YouTube continues to provide a platform for Action Zealandia's Voice of Zealandia podcast. The one episode they removed was the interview with a representative of the Scandinavian terror group Nordic Resistance Movement https://www.newsroom.co.nz/action-zealandia-linked-to-violent-overseas-extremists
In May, I began receiving death threats from various far-right activists following a video made by Lee Williams. They got my address after Sam Brittenden followed me home
I wrote about the experience: https://www.webworm.co/p/alt-right-pt2
I wrote about the experience: https://www.webworm.co/p/alt-right-pt2
Not all of the far-right are violent would-be terrorists, some try to work within mainstream politics. In 2020 the far-right successfully infiltrated the New Conservative Party https://fightback.org.nz/2020/06/12/how-the-far-right-found-a-home-in-the-new-conservative-party/
(Arguably this wasn't so much an infiltration as it was being welcomed with open arms) https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2020/07/new-conservatives-defend-western-culture-as-greatest-in-the-world-warn-nz-sliding-toward-socialism.html
Alongside the New Cons 2020 saw the rise of Billy Te Kahika and his political movement. Te Kahika repackaged conspiracy theories originating on the far-right for a predominantly MÄori audience https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/the-rise-of-maori-maga/
Much of Te Kahika's anti- "globalism" rhetoric originated decades ago with the John Birtch Society in the US. There was also a noticeable link to anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in his ideology https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2020/10/a-darker-truth-anti-semitism-billy-tk-jr-conspiracy/
A third of the posts on Facebook from Te Kahika and Jami-Lee Ross's Advance New Zealand Party were misleading or false. This was also the case for a fifth of the content on the New Conservative Facebook page https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/428214/little-fake-news-some-half-truths-in-new-zealand-election-campaign-research
Eventually Facebook removed the Advance NZ for repeatedly posting misinformation about Covid-19, but it didn't stop the party from getting 28 thousand votes in the election https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/428424/advance-nz-party-s-facebook-account-closed-after-breaches
As well as Advance NZ & the New Cons, several smaller right-wing populist parties contested the election. In one counts the economically Keynesian but conservative NZ First among them, then 1 in every 20 New Zealanders voted for a right-wing populist party https://fightback.org.nz/2020/09/22/the-crowded-mess-on-nzs-populist-right/
Since the election, internal problems have impacted both Advance NZ ans the New Cons. The former has split into two parties (as it was originally) and the latter is currently without a leadership https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/10/billy-te-kahika-confirms-nz-public-party-s-split-from-advance-nz-say-it-s-an-effort-to-restore-autonomy.html
While thankfully no one was injured, conspiracy theorists attacked telecommunications infrastructure multiple times this year https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/two-auckland-cell-phone-towers-set-ablaze-amid-5g-conspiracy-theorist-threats/VNSKFY7GLTCYNIKTVXFSFQ7QYA/
Despite promises from @YouTube to do something about misinformation and hate speech, NZ based far-right YouTubers continued to grow their audience. One of them organised weekly rallies in Christchurch in the lead up to the election
One of the men who had attended and spoken at those rallies, Adam Nuttall, made the news when he held up a city bus in protest against Covid-19 requirements https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/09/coronavirus-anti-masker-lambasted-for-attention-seeking-protest-on-christchurch-bus.html
Another attendee of those far-right rallies recently wrote a far-right meme outside Al Noor mosque https://www.newsroom.co.nz/chalk-message-left-outside-mosque-by-far-right-activist?amp=1
Lee Williams had also traveled to Auckland to speak at anti-lockdown rallies. Qanon YouTuber Damien de Ment also spoke at those rallies https://www.newsroom.co.nz/far-right-speakers-featured-at-anti-lockdown-march
A conspiracy theory group associated with de Ment have attempted to orgnaise in Auckland https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/anti-conspiracist-campaigners-take-aim-at-mothers-for-freedom-event/VRRZO2N5SIZ6G6M7WEDBPK5CRQ/
There remain around 50 Facebook pages I would classify as alt-right or alt-right adjacent. A similar number to at the start of the year, but now most of them have over 1,000.
Reported posts result in the standard "did not violate our community standards" message
Reported posts result in the standard "did not violate our community standards" message
The release of the Royal Commission Report showed the terrorist was active on far-right Facebook and inspired largely by videos he watched on YouTube, he had even donated to far-right Youtubers https://christchurchattack.royalcommission.nz/
What's clear is that the far-right isn't going to go away in 2021.
Please consider getting subscription to one or more of the publications I've linked in this thread, or supporting me on Patreon- my long term goal is to write a book on NZ's far-right http://Patreon.com/byroncclark
Please consider getting subscription to one or more of the publications I've linked in this thread, or supporting me on Patreon- my long term goal is to write a book on NZ's far-right http://Patreon.com/byroncclark
