Important to keep an eye on - who can we identify in Auckland?

FACT Aotearoa@factaotearoa.bsky.social · last yr.

In this year's local government elections, all kinds of people are running. But some of them aren't necessarily who they seem. Charlie Mitchell sets out how the "freedom movement" - riddled with conspiracy theory - is organising, on the down-low: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3607... 1/

In this year's local government elections, all kinds of people are running. But some of them aren't necessarily who they seem. Charlie Mitchell sets out how the "freedom movement" - riddled with conspiracy theory - is organising, on the down-low: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3607... 1/

The quiet campaign: Inside the freedom movement’s bid for council influence

Voices for Freedom and like-minded groups are campaigning for council seats, changing their rhetoric from the pandemic to potholes.

thepress.co.nz

In this year's local government elections, all kinds of people are running. But some of them aren't necessarily who they seem. Charlie Mitchell sets out how the "freedom movement" - riddled with conspiracy theory - is organising, on the down-low: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3607... 1/

The quiet campaign: Inside the freedom movement’s bid for council influence

Voices for Freedom and like-minded groups are campaigning for council seats, changing their rhetoric from the pandemic to potholes.

thepress.co.nz

Voices For Freedom have just emailed their members urging them to stand in local body elections. Although they do want members to stand in contested seats, this call for action is specifically to seek out uncontested seats. 1/

Voices For Freedom have just emailed their members urging them to stand in local body elections. Although they do want members to stand in contested seats, this call for action is specifically to seek out uncontested seats. 1/

Studied VFF's handbook for the upcoming local govt election. Unaware of any mainstream political party that's done a comparable production to mobilise partisans. A far-right, white supremacist ideological signalling is written into handbook which weaponises democratic processes against democracy.

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa@sanjanah.bsky.social · last yr.

Studied VFF's planning for upcoming local government elections posted online recently. It's a *significant* step-up in scale, strategy, & sophistication from '22's templates, in a transnational context which sees big far-right gains in electoral outcomes, esp. at LG levels. Entryism is entrenched.

Hey, so you were looking for something to do over the long weekend - how about taking 15 minutes to bash out a quick submission to the Royal Commission. Submissions close on Sunday. haveyoursay.covid19lessons.royalcommission.nz/royal-commis...

FACT Aotearoa@factaotearoa.bsky.social · last yr.

The Royal Commission into COVID 19 Lessons Learned has opened submissions for their next phase. They say “we want to hear from you on how certain key Government decisions affected or changed your lives during the pandemic.” 🧵

www.feijoadispatch.nz/p/free-speec...

Free Speech Union plans hostile takeover of InternetNZ

And it could just be one part of a wider strategy to shape the public conversation

feijoadispatch.nz

🧵If you want to support Internet NZ now would be the time. The framing of this as "censorship" is a reactionary emotive catchcry by oppositional parties. Bully from within tactics do not equate to civil discussion.... www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Censorship fears over revamp of InternetNZ's constitution

Opponents of a review of InternetNZ's constitution are planning a takeover, saying the not-for profit is setting itself up as internet judge and jury.

rnz.co.nz

This story is concerning 👀 www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3605...

Covid Inquiry hit by top level resignations

What is going on at the Covid Inquiry? Executive director and two legal counsel quit.

stuff.co.nz

This story is concerning 👀 www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3605...

Covid Inquiry hit by top level resignations

What is going on at the Covid Inquiry? Executive director and two legal counsel quit.

stuff.co.nz

The Royal Commission into COVID 19 Lessons Learned has opened submissions for their next phase. They say “we want to hear from you on how certain key Government decisions affected or changed your lives during the pandemic.” 🧵

Just a reminder that with the commission asking for New Zealanders stories on the topic of "vaccine safety", I wrote the article in Newsroom for this exact day, pre-emptively debunking the claims that will be written by the fringe. newsroom.co.nz/2024/09/06/t...

Living Safely With Covid@covidsafenz.bsky.social · 2y ago

The NZ COVID-19 Inquiry has today opened an online portal to receive public submissions on specific topics: vaccine mandates, safety, and approvals; lockdowns, especially the lockdowns of 2021 and 2022, and testing, tracing, and public health materials - like RAT tests. www.covid19inquiry.nz

You’re probably a pretty smart person. And you might look at conspiracy theorists’ more out-there ideas and think: “how does anyone ever fall for that?” 🧵

Excellent thread. I've had the furry litter box story recounted to me as fact!

FACT Aotearoa@factaotearoa.bsky.social · 2y ago

In fact one way to understand conspiracy theories is to think of them as really compelling stories that give us an “aha!” feeling. Stories that convince us before the logical thinking part of our brain has a chance to get involved. 3/

Stories are how we make sense of the world around us. Stories are what turns a bunch of names and events and numbers into something we can understand. Stories are a really important part of spreading conspiracy theories. 🧵

A few weeks ago, FACT Aotearoa was at DECULT, a conference which brought together experts on cults and high control organisations, including many former members of cults. FACT member Byron was there. Here's his report: factaotearoa.nz/a-report-fro...

A report from the DECULT conference | FACT Aotearoa

FACT member Byron reports from the DECULT conference, which brought together experts on cults and high control organisations, including many former members of cults.

factaotearoa.nz

Antivax group “New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out with Science” recent conference has got us thinking about how conspiracy theorists and antivax campaigners use (and abuse) “experts” to make their ideas seem more credible. So how does it work? 🧵

This week an antivax group called “New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out With Science” is holding a conference to "challenge prevailing health narratives". So we've been thinking about how conspiracy theorists form groups to look more credible. How does it work? 🧵

On Friday Newsroom published David Hood’s analysis of whether NZ had excess deaths from COVID vaccination. We think this is really important as the second phase of the COVID commission of enquiry gets closer. 🧵

Heads up: we're on Tiktok and Instagram now! If you get a follow or see content from Insta @ factaotearoa or Tiktok @ fact.aotearoa, yes it's us. We're gearing up for some short form video coming soon...

We know that conspiracy theory groups actively recruit members. But how does that work? It turns out it looks more like a sales process than you might think. As Reality Check Radio advises: slide someone from A to Z one pink pill at a time. 🧵

Almost everyone knows someone who has been swept into social media algorithms, down a rabbit hole into conspiratorial beliefs. But have you ever wondered how conspiracy theory groups recruit people into those beliefs? 🧵

Almost everyone knows someone who has been swept into social media algorithms, down a rabbit hole into conspiratorial beliefs. But have you ever wondered how conspiracy theory groups recruit people into those beliefs? 🧵

Would you like to take a trip to the Mirror World? Voices For Freedom outlet Reality Check Radio are offering to take us there when they interview Michael Benz aka white supremacist “Frame Game” on Wednesday. 1/

Would you like to take a trip to the Mirror World? Voices For Freedom outlet Reality Check Radio are offering to take us there when they interview Michael Benz aka white supremacist “Frame Game” on Wednesday. 1/

FACT Aotearoa isn't surprised by the disappearance of the Voices For Freedom-backed radio station Reality Check Radio, sometimes referred to as “Rabbit Hole Radio”. In spite of their attempts to portray their audience as substantial, VFF now say “we need funding to continue”. 1/

The Royal Commission into COVID19 lessons learned has called for submissions and they're due March 24th. Maybe you haven’t go around to it yet? 1/