It has been interesting to watch media and public commentators come to the realisation — sometimes slowly — that the siege of Parliament was not simply an anti-vaccine mandate “protest” but something with more sinister elements.

While researchers and journalists have noted the toxicity of some of the politics on display, as well as the presence of extreme fringe activists and groups, it should have come as little surprise.

These politics have been developing for some time, heavily influenced by the rise of a particular form of conspiratorial populism out of Donald Trump’s America, and by the networking and misinformation possibilities of social media.

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Internationally, researchers noted a decisive shift in 2015-16 and the subsequent exponential growth of extremist and vitriolic content online.

This intensified with the arrival of conspiracy movement QAnon in 2017 and the appearance of a number of alt-tech platforms that were designed to spread mis- and disinformation, conspiracy theories (old and new), and ultranationalism and racist views.

While local manifestations developed slowly, there was evidence that some groups and activists were beginning to realise the potential.

The Dominion Movement and Action Zealandia embraced these new politics — white nationalism, distrust of perceived corrupt elites and media — along with the relatively sophisticated use of social media to influence and recruit.

Covid and conspiracy theory
These anti-authority, conspiratorial views have been around in New Zealand for some time within the anti-1080, anti-5G and anti-UN movements.

But we began to see the formation of a loose political community around the 2020 general election. It was notable, for instance, that online material from the Advance NZ party had 30,000 followers and their anti-covid material was viewed 200,000 times.

Covid gave new impetus to these movements, partly because the pandemic fed many of the now well-established tropes of those inclined to believe in conspiracies — the role of China, government “overreach”, the influence of international organisations like the UN or WHO, or the “malign” influence of experts or institutions.

Covid not only encouraged others to be convinced that conspiracies were at work, the lockdowns also meant more were online and more were likely to engage. QAnon proved to be a key influence.

The election saw Advance NZ (and the NZ Public Party), along with the New Conservatives, the Outdoor Party and Vision NZ all peddle versions of covid scepticism, the distrust of elites or of ethnic and religious “others”.

Combined, they received 2.73 percent of the party vote and 3.01 percent of electorate votes. Not large, but related online activity was still troubling.

Slight cross-pollination of causes occurring at the Parly protest now pic.twitter.com/P0iF5MdwDA

— Sam Sachdeva (@SamSachdevaNZ) February 28, 2022

The alt-right in NZ
By mid-2021, when the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD, a UK-based research organisation) undertook a study for the Department of Internal Affairs of New Zealand’s extreme online activity, things had ramped up yet again.

The ISD looked at 300 local extremist accounts and 600,000 posts. In any given week, 192 extremist accounts were active, with 20,059 posts, 203,807 likes or up-votes and 38,033 reposts/retweets.

When it came to far-right Facebook pages, there were 750 followers per 100,000 internet users in New Zealand, compared to 399 in Australia, 252 in Canada and 233 in the USA.

Those numbers should give us all pause for thought. The volumes, the relatively high density, the extensive use of QAnon and the mobilisation of a not insignificant part of the New Zealand community indicate the alt-right and its fellow travellers were now well and truly established here.

‘So many rabbit holes’: Even in trusting New Zealand, protests show fringe beliefs can flourish https://t.co/tN4Zd6KO4m

— The Guardian (@guardian) February 25, 2022

The ‘sovereign citizens’ at Parliament
This is reinforced by the Department of Internal Affairs’ digital harm log. Not only are the numbers growing, but the level of hate and threats directed at individuals and institutions remains high.

In this context, it’s not surprising to see these ideologies surface at the occupation of Parliament grounds, or the fractious and divided nature of those attending, and that their demands are so diverse and inchoate.

Nor should it come as a surprise that the protesters display a complete unwillingness to trust authorities such as the police or Parliament.

For some time, the so-called “sovereign citizens” movement has been apparent in New Zealand, again heavily influenced by similar American politics. Laws and regulations are regarded as irrelevant and illegal, as are the institutions that create or enforce them.

What’s perhaps more surprising is that New Zealanders have generally not known more about these politics and the possibility they would produce the ugly scenes at parliament.

Information and action needed
While there has been some excellent media coverage, there has been a sense of playing catch-up. The degree of extremism fuelling the protests and the various demands appeared to catch parliament and the police off guard.

Our security and intelligence agencies are devoting more resources to tracking these politics – but they need to be more public about it. The Combined Threat Assessment Group and the SIS provide updates and risk assessments, but these often lack detailed information about local activists and actions. We need to be better informed.

The police are enhancing existing systems to better record hate crimes and activities (Te Raranga), which should become an important source of information.

And the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet will be announcing some of the details of the new centre of excellence, He Whenua Taurika, that will provide evidence of local developments.

If many New Zealanders have been surprised and saddened about the extremist politics visible at the parliament protest, there is now little excuse for not understanding their background and momentum. The challenge now is to ensure further hate crimes or violence do not follow.

Dr Paul Spoonley is distinguished professor of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

A new anti-vaccine publication with links to the Advance New Zealand fringe political party should be ripped up and thrown in the bin, a health expert says.

From Te Puke, Dr Christine Williams discovered the magazine in her work staff room.

It had been brought in by a concerned receptionist, who found it in their letterbox at home and wanted to show their colleagues what was being circulated.

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The first and special edition of a magazine claimed to tell the real story about covid-19 and vaccines.

“The danger of it to me is that it’s sitting around. Like you can find something on a Facebook site or something and you see it and it’s gone.

“Whereas this is sitting around. Lots of people can come and read it and it’s not truthful,” Dr Williams said.

The more than 40-page magazine contains conspiracy theories about vaccines, billionaire Bill Gates, herbal cures and lockdown.

Hold editors to account
Dr Williams wanted the editors held to account.

“I think it’s dangerous. [They should be] held to account I think … made to defend their views based on science, which they wouldn’t be able to do,” Dr Williams said.

Near the end is a half-page advertisement for the Advance New Zealand Party, formed in 2020 by former National MP Jami-Lee Ross.

The magazine’s website credits Advance NZ for fundraising to print the magazine and inviting members and supporters to get in touch if they want to help with mailbox drops in their area.

It says the party invited members and supporters to touch base if they wanted to help with mailbox drops in their area.

However, the website also states its editors are not members of Advance NZ or any other political party.

Advance NZ has also been promoting the magazine on its website and fundraising to print, post, and package 100,000 copies.

Contact attempts unsuccessful
Attempts by RNZ to contact Ross and Advance NZ have been unsuccessful.

The magazine has been cropping up throughout the country, including Wairarapa and Northland.

A Facebook post from Advance NZ in February states some 300 volunteers had received 60,000 copies for distribution.

Masterton resident Katy McClean discovered one in her letterbox last week.

“To me, it’s kind of scaremongering, there’s a lot of stuff in there that doesn’t seem to be very factual,” she said.

Her husband Aiden was equally unimpressed.

“If people don’t have an understanding of how to critically look at publications, they may take this information on face value,” he said.

Undermining covid efforts
“And that can really undermine the effort of everybody in order to keep covid suppressed in this country.”

In Kerikeri, Sylvie Dickson found two copies at her local takeaway.

“I didn’t know if they’d left it there for customers or if somebody had just left it there, but I saw the rubbish bin there and I thought I’ll do everyone a favour and put it in there.”

University of Auckland professor of medicine Des Gorman said anyone who received the magazine should “rip it up and throw it away”.

“In the context of encouraging free and open speech, there is a fine line, and this publication crosses that line,” he said.

“There is no merit in this publication, so my advice to people would be not to read it, and to rely upon the advice they get from their family doctor.”

Professor Gorman said if people were genuinely worried about health issues and vaccines they needed to speak with a trusted health professional.

‘Dangerous’ publications
He said publications that discouraged masks, basic public health measures and vaccinations were dangerous and should be discouraged.

“I’m not sure, if I read this 20 times, I could find any merit in this,” he said.

“I’m the last person to discourage free speech and freedom of speech but there’s a helluva big difference between an honest opinion well-held and this sort of stuff.”

Professor Gorman told RNZ Morning Report the magazine “dangerously, looks quite professionally done”.

“It has an aura of credibility around it in terms of its construct and that’s one of the many things that worries me. For the people who are vulnerable to these sorts of arguments, and those who are already vaccine hesitant, this may look like a quasi-official or even perhaps a scientifically underpinned piece of writing, which of course it isn’t,” Professor Gorman said.

The magazine gave an impression of a solid body of work – but really, it was a “recitation of a range of conspiracy theories”.

He was concerned it was targeted to disadvantaged communities in terms of healthcare or access to healthcare professionals, or those who felt the health system had not met their needs.

“This magazine violates freedom of expression because it is a litany of lies.”

The editors of the publication said they would not speak with RNZ unless it was in a live broadcast.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.