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A conspiracy theorist who appeals to “patriots” to help overthrow the government cannot speak at a Hamilton community center.
Mark Thompson was to host a public gathering at the Western Community Center on Wednesday night as part of a nationwide speaking tour called “Beyond Politics.”
The self-described training event urges attendees to take action against a variety of issues, including 5G technology, vaccines, environmentalism, and satanic ritual abuse, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the government.
Western Community Center staff received a reservation for the event last week, but say they were given few details about the nature of the meeting.
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The center’s manager, Neil Tolan, canceled the reservation Wednesday morning after being contacted by concerned residents, including veteran councilman Dave Macpherson.
It is the first time that the Western Community Center has detained a group or individual using the facility in Tolan’s more than 20 years working there.
Tom Lee / THINGS
Western Community Center manager Neil Tolan canceled a reservation to host a Beyond Politics session at the center after being contacted by concerned residents (file photo).
“Our community center is about challenges, but I think this [event] It doesn’t fit with what we do here, ”Tolan said.
“I saw some of the clips from Beyond Politics [of the Auckland meeting]I guess listening to parts of that just isn’t appropriate for our center, it’s not really the space for that kind of gathering.
Thompson did not respond to attempts to reach him for comment.
However, he promoted the event on his Facebook page along with posts supporting the QAnon movement, which maintains that the world is controlled by a Satan-worshiping pedophile elite.
In an edited recording of Thompson’s talk in Auckland’s Gray Lynn Library Hall on Saturday, he encourages “patriots” to rise up against the government and corrupt corporations.
“Today you will learn some tools on how we can overthrow this government and how we can regain our God-given rights, our God-given freedom and get the truth,” he said.
Thompson said that he doesn’t care about people’s religious opinions, but asks the audience to believe in God.
Christel Yardley / THINGS
Hamilton City Councilman Dave Macpherson (file photo).
There are a variety of ways that citizens can work to wrest power from politicians and “corrupt CEOs,” including protest actions, legal challenges, and prayer.
“We need people who are prepared to participate in special operations and activities of a nature that we probably won’t want to talk about here,” Thompson said.
Macpherson said it was inappropriate for Thompson to be allowed to use a public facility to express his views.
The Western Community Center receives an operating grant from the Hamilton City Council.
When asked if the ban was censoring free speech, Macpherson said in the wake of yesterday’s report on the Christchurch mosque shooting, “we must be careful not to give attention to these people.”
“I would say that there are some things that are dangerous for democracy and our communities.”
He said he could not support the right of people with conspiratorial views, “to have the right to use facilities funded by our communities.”
Fifty-one people were killed and dozens more were shot dead at Masjid An-Nur, also known as Al Noor Mosque, and the Linwood Islamic Center in Christchurch on March 15, 2019.
The royal commission’s report on the Christchurch mosque attacks found that the gunman had unsupervised access to the internet and began using the internet message board 4chan, a forum for far-right messages and other objectionable material, to the 14 years.
Tolan said Thompson responded to the cancellation of the reservation by threatening legal action.
If Thompson or the event organizers had been candid about the nature of the meeting, the reservation would not have been accepted. The reservation was worth $ 80.
“Loss of income is not something that worries us at all,” Tolan said.
“It’s a really tough time of year for people as well. I would hate for people to go to that meeting which is quite vulnerable. “
In 2018, Regional Facilities Auckland blocked two controversial Canadian speakers, Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux, from using a council-owned venue.
During his talk in Auckland, Thompson said he and other like-minded people are being repressed by “liberal progressives” on the left.
“And they have the gall to call us conspiracy theorists,” he said.
