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Action Zealandia

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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

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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

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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

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Dominion Movement

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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

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Sam Brittenden, a Christchurch-born former 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]

On the night of 15–16 March 2019, hours after the Christchurch mosque attacks, the then-18-year-old—a 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 attacks' 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.[22][23] 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."[24] 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.[25]

Police raided a Christchurch property on 4 March 2020 and arrested the 19-year-old 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.[26] 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.[26][27] 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.[28]

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.[29]

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 plus court costs, and left court flanked by private security without commenting to media.[30][31] 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.[32]

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.[33]

In 2026, Brittenden was involved in a drink-driving rampage in Christchurch in which he assaulted a teenage girl with his car during a high-speed chase. The teenager said she was psychologically traumatised by the incident and feared Brittenden would find her. In the Christchurch District Court, Brittenden was sentenced to six months nightly curfew, 100 hours community work and disqualified from driving.[34][35]

Jordan Milburn

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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.[36] Milburn said he grew up here and "would like to raise his young family here."[37] He ran on positions such as "ensuring our city grows sustainable without ruining the beautiful scenery that surrounds our city."[37] 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."[38][39]

After anti-racism group Paparoa accused Milburn of having links to neo-nazi group Action Zealandia and espousing “pro-white” views,[40] he resigned from his job as a software engineer at Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.[41][42] He also worked for Department of Corrections.[41][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."[38] On other episodes, Milburn interviewed English white nationalist Mark Collett and the leader of the far-right Australia First Party, Jim Saleam.[38]

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”[38] 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.[38]

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."[38]

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."[38]

He finished the 2022 Upper Hutt City Council election as the second lowest candidate, with 1,585 votes.[43]

In 2025, Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand admits failure in hiring white supremacists Jordan Milburn and James Fairburn.[44]

Communications output

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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.[45]

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

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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.[46]

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.[47] On 20 August, the soldier was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for attempted espionage.[48]

Entryism and networking

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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

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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][49]

See also

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References

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  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 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 "Law student who made anti-Muslim slurs says he's not racist". The New Zealand Herald. 2019.
  22. ↑ "Action Zealandia member arrested for threat". Newsroom. 4 March 2020.
  23. ↑ "Teen arrested after Al Noor mosque threat a member of white nationalist group". Stuff. 4 March 2020.
  24. ↑ "Action Zealandia member arrested for threat". Newsroom. 4 March 2020.
  25. ↑ "Action Zealandia member planned terror cell". Newsroom. 8 March 2020.
  26. 1 2 "Man in court after police search following Al Noor mosque threat". RNZ. 5 March 2020.
  27. ↑ "Teenager appears in court over threat made against worshippers at Christchurch's Al Noor Mosque". 1News. 5 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "White supremacists post confidential NZ Police docs on mosque threat app". Otago Daily Times. 2020.
  29. ↑ "National Library record". National Library of New Zealand.
  30. ↑ "Far-right teen pleads guilty, fined for failing to assist police investigating Christchurch mosque threat". 1News. 6 July 2020.
  31. ↑ "White nationalist group member pleads guilty to failing to assist with search warrant". Stuff. 6 July 2020.
  32. ↑ "Anti-fascist researchers tipped off police over threat". Otago Daily Times. 2020.
  33. ↑ "White supremacist joining Reenascreena sect". The Southern Star. March 2022.
  34. ↑ "Christchurch teen traumatised: Man linked to far-right group who assaulted her car". The Press. 2025.
  35. ↑ "Man linked to white nationalist group rams car off road in high-speed chase". The Press. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  36. ↑ "Jordan Milburn – Candidate for Upper Hutt City Council – 2022". policy.nz. Policy NZ. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  37. 1 2 "2022-all-candidate-statements.pdf" (PDF). Upper Hutt. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  38. ↑ "Neo-Nazi Jordan Milburn Running For Upper Hutt City Council". YouTube. New Zealand Conspiracy Loons. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  39. ↑ Green, Kate (2 September 2022). "Which local government candidates in Wellington and East Coast have ties to disinformation groups?". Stuff. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  40. 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.
  41. 1 2 3 Halpin, James (16 January 2023). "Aviation authority hired second person linked to far-right group Action Zealandia". Stuff. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  42. ↑ "Upper Hutt City Council 2022 Triennial Elections" (PDF). electionz.com. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  43. ↑ Wong, Justin (4 July 2025). "Civil Aviation Authority admits failures in hiring white supremacists". The Post. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  44. ↑ 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.
  45. ↑ Newman, Tim (13 February 2020). "White nationalist group vandalises Nelson MP Nick Smith's electorate office". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  46. ↑ "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.
  47. ↑ "NZ soldier sentenced to two years' detention for attempted espionage". France 24. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  48. ↑ 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.
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