Jump to content

Action Zealandia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Action Zealandia
Leader
James "Hector" Fairburn (2019–2021)
Dates active2019 (2019)–2023
Active regionsNew Zealand
IdeologyWhite nationalism
White supremacy
Anti-Māori sentiment
Antisemitism
New Zealand nationalism
Masculinism[1]
Environmentalism
Anti-capitalism
Anti-immigration
Anti-LGBT
Islamophobia
Identitarianism
Political positionFar-right[1][2]
StatusActive
Size30 members (2021)
Websitehttps://action-zealandia.com/

Action Zealandia is a white nationalist group in New Zealand that emerged following the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019 as the successor to an earlier group called the Dominion Movement.[3][4] According to Newshub, Action Zealandia has restricted its membership to "physically fit, tidy European male[s] of sound mind and good character."[5] In addition to its online activities, the group has plastered stickers, posted banners, and networked with other far-right and neo-Nazi groups in New Zealand and abroad.[6][7][8] Action Zealandia has also attracted media attention after members made an online threat against Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque, attempted to start a terror cell, purchase weapons, and participated in the 2022 Wellington protest.[3][4][9]

Ideology and goals

[edit]

According to the group's website, Action Zealandia's stated goal is to build a community for European New Zealanders. They claim that European identity is under threat from so-called "demographic replacement" caused by economically-motivated migration by non-European peoples. Action Zealandia also emphasises masculinity, physical fitness, and condemns drug use and so-called "sexual deviancy." In addition, Action Zealandia promotes nationalism, environmental sustainability and opposes free market capitalism and mass migration as detrimental to national identity and environmental sustainability.[10][5]

According to the University of Waikato law academic Al Gillespie and Newsroom journalist Marc Daalder, Action Zealandia's ideology blends far-right nationalism with left-wing environmentalism, they are often involved in picking up rubbish and bushwalks. Action Zealandia is a fraternity also excludes women from becoming members but allows them as supporters; the disabled, drug addicts and obese individuals are also excluded from membership. Action Zealandia also opposes libertarianism on the grounds that free market capitalism contributes to the "demographic replacement" of European New Zealanders.[10][11][6]

University of Auckland political scientist Chris Wilson and Stuff journalist James Halpin have classified Action Zealandia as a paramilitary group that sees itself as sowing the seeds for a mass nationalist movement seeking to normalise White nationalist talking points around European heritage, White identity, immigration and multiculturalism. While the group has not engaged in terrorist violence, members of Action Zealandia have promoted what the authors consider "hateful rhetoric" targeting minorities, women and leftists; which Wilson and Halpin argue could encourage acts of violence by individual actors.[12]

Leadership and membership

[edit]

According to the University of Otago student magazine Critic Te Ārohi journalist Elliott Weir, Action Zealandia had about 30 active members as of August 2021 with at least eight supporters including three women. Although the majority of members are aged between 18 and 35 years, teenagers as young as 13 years of age have attempted to join the group.[5]

As of August 2021, their leader is New Zealand Army reservist and former Army communications specialist James Fairburn, who is known by the codename "Hector."[13][5][3] In June 2020, Daalder reported that Fairburn had attempted to use his reservist status to secure an "E" endorsement for his firearms license that would allow him to purchase semi-automatic firearms. Fairburn has participated in far-right Discord channels, promoted the White genocide conspiracy theory, advocated for White South African farmers, and opposed the United Nations' Global Compact for Migration.[3] Fairburn said in January 2023 that he had not been involved with Action Zealandia since September 2021.[14]

History and activities

[edit]

Dominion Movement

[edit]

According to the journalist Marc Daalder, Action Zealandia emerged in July 2019 as the successor to the Dominion Movement, a far-right group that ceased its activities following the Christchurch mosque shootings in March 2019.[4][3] The Dominion Movement was a self-described "grass-roots Identitarian activist organisation committed to the revitalisation of our country and our people: White New Zealanders". The group condemned the Christchurch mosque shootings and claimed that it advocated non-violence. Due to the backlash against far-right groups as a result of the shootings, the Dominion Movement ceased operations and shut down its website.[15][16] In addition, the Dominion Movement opposed consumerism, immigration, and the existence of transgender people.[17]

According to a Stuff report, an alleged co-founder of the Dominion Movement was a New Zealand Defence Force soldier named Johann Wolfe, who was facing court martial in January 2020 for conducting four counts of espionage and two counts of attempted espionage with an undisclosed group.[18][19] He was also the first New Zealander to have been charged with espionage.[20] According to The New Zealand Herald, Wolfe was a founding leader of Action Zealandia and had expressed support for Brenton Tarrant, the Christchurch mosque shooter.[8]

While Action Zealandia has denied any connection to the Dominion Movement, Daalder uncovered a set of leaked documents which confirmed that members of Dominion Movement had intentionally established Action Zealandia. These documents instructed members to conceal their connections to the former Dominion Movement and encouraged former Dominion members to lie to other Action Zealandia members about their prior affiliation. As a security precaution, these guidelines also advised former Dominion members to destroy or conceal their branded flags and other memorabilia associated with the Dominion Movement.[4]

Sam Brittenden

[edit]
Sam Richard Scott Brittenden
Born2000 (age 25–26)[21]
Other name"Antipodean Man" (alias)
EducationUniversity of Otago (attended)[21]
Organization(s)Action Zealandia[22]
Remigration New Zealand[23]
Criminal charges
Disorderly behaviour (2019)[21]
Failing to assist during a police search warrant (2020)[24]
Reckless driving, breaching his zero alcohol licence, refusing to undergo an impairment test, and twice assaulting a person with his car (2026)[25]
Criminal penalty
125 hours' community work, six months' supervision (2019)[21]
NZ$500 fine and NZ$130 court costs (2020)[24]
Six months' community detention with a nightly curfew, 100 hours of community work, disqualified from driving (2026)[25]
Criminal status
Convicted (2019)

Sam Brittenden, a former University of Otago law student, is an Action Zealandia member whose activities attracted sustained police and media attention, spanning an anti-Muslim outburst in 2019, a mosque-threat investigation in 2020, and a subsequent drink-driving incident involving a high-speed pursuit.[21]

In March 2019, the first-year University of Otago law student was drinking with other students in Dunedin when he repeatedly shouted anti-Muslim abuse and told a police patrol clearing Castle Street, "Muslims are not welcome in our country. Go home Muslims," before accusing the officers of being "right-wing fascists" when they challenged him. He pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour. His lawyer's unsuccessful bid to have his name permanently suppressed described the outburst as drunken and foolish, and Brittenden was sentenced to 125 hours' community work and six months' supervision. He told reporters afterwards that he was not racist, citing a Muslim friend he had contacted to check on after the attack.[21]

A year later, in the lead-up to the Christchurch mosque shootings' first anniversary, an image began circulating on a Telegram channel dedicated to the alleged Christchurch gunman: a man in a skull-patterned balaclava, photographed from a car outside Al Noor Mosque, posted with threatening text on 1 March 2020 and viewed thousands of times.[26][27] Chat logs obtained by Newsroom from the anti-fascist research group Paparoa showed the account holder identifying as an Action Zealandia member, a connection Stuff was first to report. Action Zealandia publicly distanced itself, calling the alleged conduct outside its code of conduct and "immature and unproductive."[22] Separately, Newsroom reported that another, unnamed Action Zealandia member had been discussing the formation of armed "terror cells" with overseas extremist groups, including the US-based Atomwaffen Division. That member claimed a connection to Brittenden and referenced his arrest, though the terror-cell discussion was not attributed to Brittenden himself.[28]

Police raided a Christchurch property in March 2020 and arrested Brittenden. He was not charged over the threat itself. Instead, after officers found a cellphone in the house that he initially denied owning and then gave several incorrect passcodes for, he was charged with failing to assist a search warrant.[29] He appeared in the Christchurch District Court the next day, where an application for name suppression—made on the grounds further charges were pending—was declined, and he was remanded on bail with conditions barring him from Hagley Park and from possessing firearms.[29][30] Days later, a confidential New Zealand Police Financial Intelligence Unit memo was also leaked onto the same Telegram channel. Police said distributing it was illegal, but the leak itself was not attributed to Brittenden.[31]

The raid and arrest prompted a public reaction from Brittenden's father, Scott Brittenden. The Press reported that his father expressed shame at his son's actions.[32]

Brittenden pleaded guilty to the search-warrant charge in July 2020. His lawyer told the court his client had been "foolish" and had since written to police apologising for wasting their time. Police said no further charges would follow. He was convicted and fined $500 and ordered to pay an additional $130 in court costs. He left court flanked by private security without commenting to media.[24][33] The following year, a Paparoa spokesperson cited Brittenden's case as part of a recurring pattern of anniversary-linked far-right threats against Christchurch mosques.[34]

In March 2022, the Irish newspaper The Southern Star reported that Brittenden was believed to be relocating to Reenascreena, near Rosscarbery in West Cork, to join SSPX Resistance—a traditionalist Catholic splinter group whose founders include Richard Williamson, a bishop convicted of Holocaust denial in Germany. Brittenden was reported to have joined the group's New Zealand chapter and to be planning to travel to the West Cork base via Belfast.[35]

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull being escorted by police at her Let Women Speak protest, Auckland 2023

In 2023, Brittenden was identified as one of the far-right individuals at Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull's 2023 Auckland Let Women Speak protest.[36] Brittenden was also identified as having attended a Christchurch Library Drag Queen Story Hour counter-protest carrying a banner saying "Drag Pedos Groom Kids."[37][38]

In 2023, Brittenden was in court for driving with a breath alcohol level of more than 800 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.[25]

In 2025, Brittenden was involved in a drink-driving rampage in Christchurch in which he assaulted two people with his car during a high-speed chase. He pleaded guilty to five related charges of reckless driving, breaching his zero alcohol licence, refusing to undergo an impairment test, and twice assaulting a person with his car. The teenager said she was psychologically traumatised by the incident, she took 9 months to find stability, and feared Brittenden would find her. In 2026, in the Christchurch District Court, Brittenden was sentenced to six months' community detention with a nightly curfew, 100 hours of community work and disqualified from driving.[25][39]

In 2026, The Press identified Brittenden as running an anonymous X account called Antipodean Man, which praised Adolf Hitler, promoted Holocaust denial, and advocated for "deporting the Asiatic hordes who have invaded this land". He was identified as an active member of Remigration New Zealand.[23]

In 2025, before New Zealand First leader Winston Peters spoke in Christchurch, the account posted a photo of the venue with the caption "Heil Zealandia."[23] Brittenden said in a voice chat, "Right now, we don't have a single voice in government. New Zealand First do not represent us. They’re not ethnic nationalists, they're civic nationalists. We need MPs."[23]

James Fairburn

[edit]
James Fairburn
Other name"Hector" (alias)
OccupationArmy communications operator (former)[40]
Employer(s)New Zealand Army (former)[41]
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (August - December 2022)[42][43]
OrganizationAction Zealandia
Criminal charges
Drink driving (2022)[44]
Common assault, graffiti and possessing instruments for graffiti (2022)[44]
Criminal penalty
Ten months' supervision, NZ$400 reparations, $300 in damages (2022)[44]
Criminal status
Convicted (2022)

James Fairburn, who used the alias "Hector", is a former New Zealand Army communications operator and reservist. He led Action Zealandia as its "Movement Leader" and took part in some of the group's first activities after it formed in July 2019.[42][40] In June 2020, Newsroom reported that he had tried to use his reservist status to obtain an "E" endorsement on his firearms that would allow him to purchase semi-automatic firearms.[3] Fairburn has participated in far-right Discord channels, promoted the White genocide conspiracy theory, started a parliamentary petition asking that New Zealand give priority consideration for visas for white South African farmers in reference to a white genocide conspiracy theory that attacks on farmers disproportionately target white people, and mentioned attending a rally opposing the United Nations' Global Compact for Migration.[3] In November 2020, it reported that he had photographed Action Zealandia members posing with a New Zealand flag in July 2019, and had written on Reddit about ties between New Zealand politicians and the Chinese government. The New Zealand Defence Force confirmed that he was no longer in the Army Reserves.[41]

An undercover investigation by Critic Te Ārohi in 2021 found that "Hector" was listed internally as Action Zealandia's Movement Leader. After being arrested and having his devices seized, he left the group's chat channels twice. In April 2021, he told members he had been "caught by the cops during a street action" and had breached bail after an earlier arrest for vandalism. Later that month, he said he would fly to Australia to meet Thomas Sewell of the National Socialist Network, who was to be a guest on the group's podcast. Critic reported that he was apparently stopped at the border, that senior members removed him from the group, and that they reinstated him once they were confident his devices had not been compromised.[40] Fairburn told Stuff in January 2023 that he had not been involved with Action Zealandia since September 2021.[42]

Fairburn and Jordan Milburn hosted the group's podcast Voice of Zealandia, on which Fairburn interviewed figures from the international far-right identitarian scene.[42] In June 2022, he was sentenced to ten months' supervision, ordered to pay $400 in reparations and $300 in damages for spray-painting a security guard in the face at the Chinese consulate in Auckland in 2020.[43][44] He pleaded guilty to common assault, graffiti and possessing instruments for graffiti.[44] Before this conviction and after the assault, he was convicted of drink-driving.[44] From August to December 2022, he worked at the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand. He was the second Action Zealandia member the authority had employed, after Milburn, and Newsroom had reported on his membership in 2020. The CAA declined to say what role he held or whether it required a security clearance. Green MP Julie Anne Genter, a former Minister of Civil Aviation, said the authority should urgently review its hiring processes.[42]

The CAA at first refused to answer questions about Fairburn and Milburn on privacy grounds. It released a summary in 2025 after the Ombudsman directed it to, following a complaint by The Post and a two-year investigation. The summary said the CAA did not know of their far-right links until reporters asked for comment in late 2022, and that some of its recruitment processes "fell short" of expectations. It said the authority had since strengthened its recruitment policy and created a principal recruitment advisor position.[43]

Jordan Milburn

[edit]
Jordan Milburn
Born1994 (age 31–32)[45]
EducationVictoria University of Wellington[46]
OccupationSoftware engineer (former)[45]
Employer(s)Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (former)
Department of Corrections (New Zealand) (former)[46]
OrganizationAction Zealandia
Children2 children[45]
Upper Hutt Civic Centre. Milburn contested the 2022 Upper Hutt City Council election.

In 2022, Jordan Milburn ran for 2022 Upper Hutt City Council election.[45] Milburn said he grew up here and "would like to raise his young family here."[47] He ran on positions such as "ensuring our city grows sustainable without ruining the beautiful scenery that surrounds our city."[47] Milburn argued he could "bring new energy, a new voice, new charisma, something to it, to revitalise the city to ensure it stays a great place to live."[46][48]

After anti-racism group Paparoa accused Milburn of having links to neo-nazi group Action Zealandia and espousing “pro-white” views,[49] he resigned from his job as a software engineer at Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.[50][42] He also worked for Department of Corrections.[50][42]

Milburn was accused of running a white supremacist podcast Voice of Zealandia under the alias 'Zane', where he said "I think that we have to accept that we have to play that game, that if you’re pro-white then you’re part of our in-group and if you’re not pro-white, you’re not. We have to say: If you’re one of us, we will act with extreme cohesion and we will try and build strong group solidarity together – using each other’s businesses through economic communities, controlling social services and moving to take control within local councils and local regions."[46] On other episodes, Milburn interviewed English white nationalist Mark Collett and the leader of the far-right Australia First Party, Jim Saleam.[46]

A document was uncovered, where under the alias 'Zane', Milburn sent a 28-page Word document to Action Zealandia members with anti-semitic slurs and comments, including calling Massey University Professor Paul Spoonley a “Jewish puppet ... he produces academic work on behalf of Jews when he is paid”[46] The document was obtained by Elliot Weir, editor at Otago University’s student magazine Critic Te Ārohi, who was undercover in Action Zealandia for 6 months.[46]

Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy said he was disappointed a candidate alleged to have extremist views was standing in Upper Hutt. "Their views have no place in Upper Hutt and no place in New Zealand society."[46]

Green Party Member of Parliament Julie Anne Genter, who was formerly Minister of Civil Aviation, said the revelations called for urgently review of the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand's hiring processes. "We are particularly concerned in light of the observations by the Royal commission inquiry into the Christchurch mosque attack about the risk posed by far-right extremism."[42]

A Department of Corrections spokesperson confirmed Milburn worked at an office-based role for roughly a year but asserts he didn't work on the frontline. "We have robust recruitment and selection processes, which include a range of checks prior to employment. Links to extremist organisations or certain criminal convictions would deem a person unsuitable for this work."[46]

He finished the 2022 Upper Hutt City Council election as the second lowest candidate, with 1,585 votes.[51]

In 2025, Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand admits failure in hiring white supremacists Jordan Milburn and James Fairburn.[52]

Johann Wolfe

[edit]

Jack Captein
Born
Jack Alexander Captein
Other nameJohann Wolfe (alias)
OccupationNew Zealand Army soldier (former)
Organization(s)Dominion Movement
Action Zealandia
Criminal charges
Attempted espionage (2025)
Accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose (2025)
Knowingly possessing an objectionable publication (2025)
Criminal penalty
Two years' military detention (2025)
Replaced on appeal by 15 months' imprisonment, after credit for time served (2026)
Criminal status
Convicted (2025)

Jack Alexander Captein, who used the alias "Johann Wolfe", is a former New Zealand Army private who was involved with the Dominion Movement and Action Zealandia.[53][54] In January 2020, Stuff reported that he had been a leader and alleged co-founder of the Dominion Movement, the white nationalist organisation that preceded Action Zealandia.[55] An undercover investigation by Critic Te Ārohi later found the alias "Johann Wolfe" in Action Zealandia's internal chats.[56]

In November 2020, the New Zealand Defence Force charged Captein with 17 offences, including four counts of espionage and two counts of attempted espionage.[57]

At a court-martial at Linton Military Camp in August 2025, Captein pleaded guilty to attempted espionage, accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and knowingly possessing an objectionable publication.[58] During an undercover operation in December 2019, he had supplied military documents to an officer whom he believed represented a foreign country. He also obtained maps, imagery and telephone directories from a Defence Force computer system for further disclosure, but was arrested before handing them over. He offered to place a covert device in Army headquarters. A search of his address found copies of the Christchurch mosque shootings livestream and the gunman's manifesto, both classified as objectionable publications.[53]

During the proceedings, Captein acknowledged that he had been a member of both the Dominion Movement and Action Zealandia. In an affidavit, he described his involvement in the groups as a "positive experience" and said that they were not terrorist organisations.[54] He also said that he did not support the Christchurch mosque shootings.[59]

Captein was dismissed from service and sentenced to two years' military detention in August 2025. In May 2026, the Court of Appeal allowed a Crown appeal, finding that the sentence did not adequately reflect the seriousness of the offending or provide sufficient deterrence. After applying sentencing discounts and credit for eight months already spent in military detention, it imposed a sentence of 15 months' imprisonment. In October 2026, RNZ reported that the Crown intended to seek correction of the sentence's commencement date.[53]

Captein's name became public in October 2026 after he was refused leave to bring a further appeal against the denial of permanent name suppression. He had argued that identification would expose him and his family to retaliation from the foreign power he believed he was assisting. The court found no evidence supporting that alleged risk and held that the public interest in publication outweighed the interests in suppression.[53]

Matt

[edit]
Matt
Other name"Max" (alias)
OccupationNew Zealand Army private (former)
Years activec. 2020–2021
OrganizationAction Zealandia

Matt, also known as Max, is the alias of an Action Zealandia member who discussed establishing an armed extremist cell in New Zealand.[60] In March 2020, Newsroom reported that he had discussed forming a network of cells in New Zealand modelled on overseas accelerationist organisations including the Atomwaffen Division.[61]

According to the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy, Matt used the proposed name "Southern Order" for the group and participated in online discussions with members of Atomwaffen in the United States and the Nordic Resistance Movement in Finland. He also praised The Base and discussed cell organisation, tactics and obtaining weapons on the black market.[62]

The CTC reported that Matt had previously served as a private in the New Zealand Army between 2014 and 2016. It also noted that he was not arrested or charged with a criminal offence in connection with the discussions.[62] An undercover investigation by Critic Te Ārohi in 2021 reported that "Matt", who was also using the alias "Max", remained an active member of Action Zealandia.[60]

Publicly identified members

[edit]

Several Action Zealandia members have been publicly identified in news reporting, academic research and by the anti-fascist research group Paparoa. Some members have also used aliases.[63]

Name Alias Reported involvement Sources
James Fairburn "Hector" Former Action Zealandia movement leader and co-host of the Voice of Zealandia podcast. [64][65]
Sam Brittenden "Antipodean Man" Action Zealandia member whose membership was reported during the 2020 investigation into a threat against Al Noor Mosque. [66]
Jordan Milburn "Zane" Action Zealandia member and Voice of Zealandia host who contested the 2022 local elections in Upper Hutt. [67][65]
Jack Captein "Johann Wolfe" Former New Zealand Army private who acknowledged membership of the Dominion Movement and Action Zealandia. Convicted of attempted espionage in 2025; his name became public in October 2026 after a further name-suppression appeal was refused. [68][53]
"Matt" "Max" Action Zealandia member who discussed establishing an armed extremist cell in New Zealand. [69][70]
Ed Clarkson – Identified by Paparoa in March 2023 as an Action Zealandia member. [63]
Gabriel Buhmann – Identified by Paparoa in March 2023 as an Action Zealandia member. [63]
Solomon Tor-Kilsen – Identified by Paparoa in March 2023 as an Action Zealandia member. Tor-Kilsen has also been reported as the leader of the South Island Independence Movement. [63][71]
Karl Shaw – Identified by Paparoa in March 2023 as an Action Zealandia member. [63]

Other reported participants

[edit]
Name Activity Sources
Nicholas Wells

later Nicholas Newport

 Former Young New Zealand First youth leader. Took part in an Action Zealandia protest at a Hamilton library in 2024. [72]
James Rossiter Attended the 2023 Auckland Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull protest wearing clothing used by Action Zealandia. Paparoa said Rossiter's group were "probably not Action Zealandia members". [73]

Communications output

[edit]

Action Zealandia maintains a website, which was registered through the Instra Corporation on 23 May 2019.[6] The group also runs a podcast called Voice of Zealandia, which has an associated Facebook page.[3] After Action Zealandia was banned from Twitter and YouTube in June 2021, the group has turned to other social media platforms such as Discord, Gab, Odyssee, Telegram and Element.[8] In October 2021, Stuff reported that Meta Platforms had banned Action Zealandia from Facebook, citing a leaked Facebook list of "Dangerous Individuals and Organisations" obtained by the American media organisation The Intercept.[74]

In addition to their online activities, Action Zealandia has also plastered stickers in public spaces promoting their nationalist ideology.[7] in June 2022, Action Zealandia members unsuccessfully attempted to plaster "White Lives Matter" and "Kyle Rittenhouse Was Right" posters in Dunedin but fled after being confronted by members of the public. In August 2022, the group's leaders ordered its chapters to do banner drops and poster runs in order to promote "White Lives Matter Day" on 9 August. The group wanted to use White Lives Matter Day to raise awareness of alleged White genocide in the South African farm attacks.[8]

Potential and proven crimes

[edit]

According to Daalder, Action Zealandia was also linked to at least three potential crimes in March 2020 including a member named Sam Brittenden failing to comply with a police search, posting a leaked New Zealand Police Financial Intelligence unit document, and alleged plans to start a terror cell and purchase weapons from like-minded groups such as the Atomwaffen Division.[3][4]

In 2020, Action Zealandia vandalised Nick Smith's electorate office with graffiti and posters.[75]

On 18 August 2025, a New Zealand Defence Force soldier, who had admitted being a member of the Dominion Movement and Action Zealandia, pleaded guilty at a court martial to attempted espionage on behalf of a foreign power; the first successful conviction for such a crime in New Zealand. The defendant admitted providing classified information including the telephone directories of several army camps and access codes to Linton Military Camp and the nearby RNZAF Base Ohakea to an undercover New Zealand agent, posing as a foreign spy. In his affidavit, the soldier described the Dominion Movement and Action Zealandia as a "positive experience" for him and claimed they were not terrorist groups.[76] On 20 August, the soldier was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for attempted espionage.[77]

Entryism and networking

[edit]

In August 2021, the Critic Te Ārohi journalist Elliot Weir reported an undercover investigation of Action Zealandia, including their plans to infiltrate the National and New Zealand Social Credit parties and planning to appeal to a broader group of people. Action Zealandia has also cultivated relationships with both domestic and overseas white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups and figures including former New Zealand National Front general secretary Kerry Bolton, Thomas Sewell's National Socialist Network, International Conservative Community, Nordic Resistance Movement, New British Union, Blair Cottrell, and Robert Rundo's Rise Above Movement.[13][8][5] The International Conservative Community is a transnational network of fascist groups founded by Rundo. Action Zealandia is the New Zealand chapter of the group.[8]

COVID-19 pandemic

[edit]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, Action Zealandia spread misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines, claiming that they were part of a Jewish conspiracy to sterilise and depopulate the world. Members pressured other members not to get vaccinated and discussed ways of circumventing workplace vaccine mandates including falsifying vaccine documents.[8] Action Zealandia also supported 2022 Wellington protest. In mid February 2022, an Action Zealandia member, posted a video and photos of the protest from Bowen House. These activities sparked an investigation by law enforcement authorities and prompted Speaker of the House Trevor Mallard to restrict access to Bowen House.[9][78]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Allchorn, William (2021). From Gangs to Groupuscules and Solo-Actor Terrorism: New Zealand Radical Right Narratives and Counter-Narratives In The Context of the Christchurch Attack (PDF). CARR-Hedayah Radical Right Counter Narratives Project. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  2. ↑ Harris, Katie (12 October 2021). "NZ right-wing nationalist group on internal Facebook blacklist of terror and hate groups". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 February 2024. The name of a New Zealand right-wing nationalist group has appeared on an internal Facebook list of terror and hate groups released by international media today.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Daalder, Marc (25 June 2020). "Army reservist linked to New Zealand far-right group". Stuff. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Daalder, Marc (13 March 2020). "Action Zealandia linked to Dominion Movement". Newsroom. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Andelane, Lana (9 August 2021). "Critic Te Arohi journalist goes undercover to reveal insider information from within neo-Nazi group Action Zealandia – and this is what they found". Newshub. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Daalder, Marc (10 August 2019). "White supremacists still active in NZ". Newsroom. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  7. 1 2 Spoonley, Paul. "Far-right extremists still threaten New Zealand, a year on from the Christchurch attacks". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 14 March 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Weir, Elliot (9 August 2021). "Action Zealandia, NZ's largest neo-Nazi group, on the hunt for new recruits". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  9. 1 2 Sowmund-Lund, Stewart (17 February 2022). "How a far-right activist filmed the protest from a parliament construction site". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  10. 1 2 "Ideals". Action Zealandia. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "FAQ". Action Zealandia. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  12. ↑ Wilson, Chris; Halpin, James (19 March 2023). "Action Zealandia, New Zealand's Aspiring Brownshirts". National Security Journal: 1–15. doi:10.36878/nsj20230319.02. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  13. 1 2 Weisr, Elliot (9 August 2021). "Fascism 2.0: Lessons from six months in New Zealand's largest white supremacist group". Critic Te Arohi. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  14. ↑ Halpin, James (16 January 2023). "Aviation authority hired second person linked to far-right group Action Zealandia". Stuff.
  15. ↑ The Dominion Movement: a Primer, 22 August 2018, The Dominion Movement is a grass-roots identitarian activist organization committed to the revitalization of our country and our people: White New Zealanders
  16. ↑ "Christchurch terror attack: Anti-immigration websites taken down after shootings". Radio New Zealand. 16 March 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  17. ↑ Kilmister, Sam (17 December 2018). "Leaflets promoting white New Zealanders are racist and alarming, resident says". Stuff. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Kerr, Florence; Manch, Thomas (22 January 2020). "Soldier alleged to have traded military information was leader of white nationalist group". Stuff. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  19. ↑ "Charges laid against Linton soldier". New Zealand Defence Force. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  20. ↑ Kerr, Florence; Manch, Thomas (25 November 2020). "Linton soldier is the first New Zealander to be charged with espionage". Stuff. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Law student who made anti-Muslim slurs says he's not racist". The New Zealand Herald. 2019.
  22. 1 2 "Action Zealandia member arrested for threat". Newsroom. 4 March 2020.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Mitchell, Charlie (1 August 2026). "The young men behind NZ's new far-right movement". The Press. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  24. 1 2 3 "Far-right teen pleads guilty, fined for failing to assist police investigating Christchurch mosque threat". 1News. 6 July 2020.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Kerr-Laurie, Brett (13 April 2026). "Christchurch teen 'traumatised' by man linked to far right group who assaulted her with car". The Press. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  26. ↑ "Action Zealandia member arrested for threat". Newsroom. 4 March 2020.
  27. ↑ "Teen arrested after Al Noor mosque threat a member of white nationalist group". Stuff. 4 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "Action Zealandia member planned terror cell". Newsroom. 8 March 2020.
  29. 1 2 "Man in court after police search following Al Noor mosque threat". RNZ. 5 March 2020.
  30. ↑ "Teenager appears in court over threat made against worshippers at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque". 1News. 5 March 2020.
  31. ↑ "White supremacists post confidential NZ Police docs on mosque threat app". Otago Daily Times. 2020.
  32. ↑ "National Library record". National Library of New Zealand.
  33. ↑ "White nationalist group member pleads guilty to failing to assist with search warrant". Stuff. 6 July 2020.
  34. ↑ "Anti-fascist researchers tipped off police over threat". Otago Daily Times. 2020.
  35. ↑ "White supremacist joining Reenascreena sect". The Southern Star. March 2022.
  36. ↑ "Posie Parker: Anti-trans rally attracted a range of far-right groups, researchers say". NZ Herald. 28 March 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  37. ↑ Taonui, Rawiri. "Marama Davidson – No Apology Necessary". Waatea Digital. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  38. ↑ Roberts, Nadine (22 March 2023). "Secretive underground group behind campaign to stop Pride Week event". Stuff. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  39. ↑ "Man linked to white nationalist group rams car off road in high-speed chase". The Press. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  40. 1 2 3 "Investigation Sheds Light on Aotearoa's Largest Neo-Nazi Group". Critic Te Ārohi. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  41. 1 2 Daalder, Marc (25 November 2020). "Far-right extremist no longer in Army Reserves". Newsroom. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Halpin, James (16 January 2023). "Aviation authority hired second person linked to far-right group Action Zealandia". Stuff. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  43. 1 2 3 Wong, Justin (4 July 2025). "Civil Aviation Authority admits failures in hiring white supremacists". The Post. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  44. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Halpin, James (20 January 2023). "CAA hire linked to white nationalist group attacked security guard at Chinese consulate". Stuff. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  45. 1 2 3 4 "Jordan Milburn – Candidate for Upper Hutt City Council – 2022". policy.nz. Policy NZ. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  46. 1 2 "2022-all-candidate-statements.pdf" (PDF). Upper Hutt. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  47. ↑ "Neo-Nazi Jordan Milburn Running For Upper Hutt City Council". YouTube. New Zealand Conspiracy Loons. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  48. ↑ Green, Kate (2 September 2022). "Which local government candidates in Wellington and East Coast have ties to disinformation groups?". Stuff. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  49. 1 2 Wong, Justin (22 September 2022). "Council candidate accused of neo-Nazi links quits Civil Aviation Authority". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  50. ↑ "Upper Hutt City Council 2022 Triennial Elections" (PDF). electionz.com. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  51. ↑ Wong, Justin (4 July 2025). "Civil Aviation Authority admits failures in hiring white supremacists". The Post. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  52. 1 2 3 4 5 Neal, Tracy (6 October 2026). "Jack Captein named as former New Zealand Army soldier in attempted espionage case". Radio New Zealand. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  53. 1 2 "Military court finds New Zealand soldier guilty of attempted espionage". ABC News. 18 August 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  54. ↑ Kerr, Florence; Manch, Thomas (22 January 2020). "Soldier alleged to have traded military information was leader of white nationalist group". Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  55. ↑ Weir, Elliot (9 August 2021). "Investigation Sheds Light on Aotearoa's Largest Neo-Nazi Group". Critic Te Ārohi. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  56. ↑ Kerr, Florence; Manch, Thomas (25 November 2020). "Linton soldier is the first New Zealander to be charged with espionage". Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  57. ↑ Ellingham, Jimmy (18 August 2025). "Soldier admits handing over sensitive information to person he thought was foreign agent". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  58. ↑ "Soldier guilty of attempted espionage in New Zealand's first such case". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  59. 1 2 Weir, Elliot (9 August 2021). "Fascism 2.0: Lessons from six months in New Zealand's largest white supremacist group". Critic Te Ārohi. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  60. ↑ Daalder, Marc (9 March 2020). "Action Zealandia member planned terror cell". Newsroom. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  61. 1 2 "In the Shadow of Christchurch: International Lessons from New Zealand's Extreme Far-Right". CTC Sentinel. Combating Terrorism Center. July–August 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  62. 1 2 3 4 5 "Paparoa thread on Action Zealandia members". Thread Reader App. 26 March 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  63. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Critic-investigation2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  64. 1 2 Cite error: The named reference Fairburn-Stuff2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  65. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Brittenden-Press2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  66. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Milburn-Stuff2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  67. ↑ Cite error: The named reference ABC-Wolfe2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  68. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Critic-Matt2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  69. ↑ Cite error: The named reference CTC-Matt2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  70. ↑ "Racist concerns over SI independence site". Otago Daily Times. 2019.
  71. ↑ "NZ First Party youth leader linked to neo-Nazi groups". World Socialist Web Site. 7 August 2026.
  72. ↑ "Paparoa thread on far-right participants at Posie Parker rally". Thread Reader App. 26 March 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  73. ↑ Manch, Thomas (13 October 2021). "New Zealand white supremacist group on Facebook's 'dangerous organisations' list". Stuff. Stuff (company). Archived from the original on 18 September 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  74. ↑ Newman, Tim (13 February 2020). "White nationalist group vandalises Nelson MP Nick Smith's electorate office". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  75. ↑ "Soldier guilty of attempted espionage in New Zealand's first such case". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 19 August 2025. Archived from the original on 19 August 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  76. ↑ "NZ soldier sentenced to two years' detention for attempted espionage". France 24. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  77. ↑ McConnell, Glenn (16 February 2022). "Who is who at the Convoy 2022 occupation of Parliament's grounds". Stuff. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Action_Zealandia&oldid=1379863841"