Peace campaigner receives death threats over opposition to far-right Canadian speakers granted NZ work visas

July 20, 2018

Valerie Morse from Auckland Peace Action says the threats show the impact the pairs' views have on their followers.

An Auckland peace campaigner says she has received death threats over her opposition to the far-right Canadian speakers who were granted New Zealand work visas today.

Valerie Morse from Auckland Peace Action says the threats show the impact Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux's views have on their followers.

"I think it goes a long way to show the kind of effects this stuff has on our society and the kind of people it empowers," Ms Morse told 1 NEWS.

She says that herself and Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson have been the victim of targeted threats after announcing their opposition to the speakers.

"MP Marama Davidson and I have both received death threats from the fascist supporters of Southern and Molyneux.

"These speakers embolden white supremacists and will directly contribute to increasing the level of racism and violence against the diverse communities that make up this city," she said.

The controversial Canadian speakers have been granted work visas to enter the country after Auckland Council would not allow the pair to speak on Council-owned venues, citing safety issues as the reasoning.

Despite this Iain Lees-Galloway agrees with the decision to grant the visa on free speech grounds.

Speaking to 1 NEWS Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway backed Immigration New Zealand's decision to grant the visas while also voicing his disdain about the speakers' far-right ideology.

"We absolutely do not condone the things they have been saying, it's repugnant to me personally and they're repugnant to the Government as well but we have to have that high bar in who we exclude from New Zealand.

"I would hate to see the a future Government use the immigration act to suppress debate on indigenous rights or any other matter that genuinely needs to be debated in New Zealand," Mr Lees-Galloway said.

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