NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Budget 2025
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Parliament protest: Australian conspiracy commentators to attend event, claims NZ influencer

NZ Herald
20 Aug, 2022 01:30 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Protesters block streets in Wellington causing delays for motorists. Video / Katie Harris

An infamous Australian far-right misinformation superspreader is among the people who may attend an anti-government protest at Parliament grounds on Tuesday.

Kiwi conspiracy influencer Chantelle Baker claimed on Facebook that YouTuber Avi Yemini and Rukshan Fernando, aka Real Rukshan, would be joining the masses in Wellington.

The pair are known to spread misinformation and falsehoods on social media in Australia.

But Baker described the two as "hard-working" and "independent reporters" who were coming to Wellington to hear protesters' stories and inform Australians about what's been happening in New Zealand.

Baker, one of the public faces of the anti-vaccine and conspiracy movement in New Zealand, is the daughter of former New Conservatives leader Leighton Baker.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said she would be attending Tuesday's protest because she wanted to bring awareness to Tokelau residents, who she claimed "are still being held under house arrest".

Yemini is a Melbourne-based social media personality, who was banned from Facebook, and is known for his extremist far-right ideology and comments.

He was convicted of unlawful assault against his former wife and sued by his brother for defamation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In 2018, at a protest demonstration against imprisonment of the far-right British activist, Tommy Robinson in London, Yemini said he was "the world's proudest Jewish Nazi".

In June, Victoria Police also apologised to Yemini for wrongfully arresting him three times during protests in Melbourne in 2020 and 2021 while the self-described "citizen journalist" was filming for alternative media website Rebel News.

Fernando, meanwhile, is described by mainstream Australian media as a Sri Lankan-Australian wedding photographer who has become a hero for those supporting Melbourne's anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown protests.

Rukshan has also been listed as among the top 100 misinformation superspreaders by the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun.

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

Live: Barriers up, roads closed as Wellington prepares for convoy

22 Aug 01:08 AM

Immigration NZ's acting general manager for border and visa operations Michael Carley said there are certain conditions temporary visitors to New Zealand must meet in order to be eligible for entry.

"The onus is on the visitor to satisfy Immigration New Zealand that they meet all of the entry requirements at the time they travel to New Zealand, this includes being of good character," Carley said.

"One of the reasons people are refused entry is not meeting character and criminal convictions is one factor which we take into account. Australian citizens are still expected to declare criminal convictions before being allowed entry to New Zealand."

A police spokesperson said they had no comment on the Australian pair but they were aware of protest activity planned for Wellington on August 23.

The Freedoms and Rights Coalition announced the group was planning a protest on Tuesday in Wellington, following similar events in Auckland and Christchurch recently. A counter-protest group is also expected to gather near Parliament.

It comes almost six months on from the 23-day anti-mandate occupation at Parliament that was brought to a violent and fiery end.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In anticipation of Tuesday's protest, road closures would be in place at the Parliament end of Lambton Quay, lower Molesworth St and Kate Sheppard Place from 10pm on Sunday.

A police spokesperson had said previously, that a traffic management plan would also be in place to restrict unauthorised vehicle movement and parking around Parliament from Sunday evening until the end of the protest.

People who worked in the area or commuters who travelled through it were advised to plan ahead. However, traffic disruption was expected to be minimal.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
New ZealandUpdated

An epic, wild 218 days: 'We're walking to Bluff' - meet the family of six who hiked the length of NZ

23 May 06:16 PM
Premium
New Zealand

The $40m difference - why Napier council has $110m budget for $70m project

23 May 06:00 PM
New Zealand

Big things, small place: Mount Maunganui drone-maker wins top NZ hi-tech award

23 May 06:00 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
An epic, wild 218 days: 'We're walking to Bluff' - meet the family of six who hiked the length of NZ

An epic, wild 218 days: 'We're walking to Bluff' - meet the family of six who hiked the length of NZ

23 May 06:16 PM

An inspiring, astonishing adventure, including being mistaken for missing Marokopa family.

Premium
The $40m difference - why Napier council has $110m budget for $70m project

The $40m difference - why Napier council has $110m budget for $70m project

23 May 06:00 PM
Big things, small place: Mount Maunganui drone-maker wins top NZ hi-tech award

Big things, small place: Mount Maunganui drone-maker wins top NZ hi-tech award

23 May 06:00 PM
How Rotorua's air pollution transformation defied expectations

How Rotorua's air pollution transformation defied expectations

23 May 06:00 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP