![]() ![]() “It doesn’t glorify it, but it doesn’t also push back on it. But he had concerns that its propagation meant it could spread to audiences who were receptive to radicalisation. Many of the groups sharing the Buffalo material online were not directly glorifying it, Hattotuwa said – some believe it was a “false flag” or “distraction” set up by elites to divert attention. “The anti-vax landscape ones who are front and centre, distributing, propagating and amplifying this content – that’s an entirely new phenomena that wasn’t there in March 2019,” he said. Within those groups, the Buffalo material was already spreading, he said, with several accounts that appeared to be expressly set up to disseminate the video and so-called manifesto. Anti-vaccine factions had intermingled with far right and Q-Anon groups, and developed new, conspiratorial and extreme communities, typically hosted on Telegram. While it’s impossible to track the true number if people who have viewed the material on platforms such as Telegram, Hattotuwa said that New Zealand’s fringe and misinformation-spreading ecosystems had grown dramatically since the Christchurch attacks in 2019. While the inquiry aims to understand the incident and suggest preventive measures for the future, it cannot impose penalties or offer compensation.Īfter the attacks, New Zealand initiated major gun reforms and saw the establishment of Christchurch Call, an initiative to tackle terrorist and extremist content online.Within New Zealand, researchers are concerned about the spread of copies of the alleged Buffalo terrorist’s propaganda, and say the country has developed fertile ground for extreme material among the pandemic era’s conspiratorial and anti-authoritarian movements.ĭr Sanjana Hattotuwa, who studies disinformation and fringe online communities for Te Punaha Matatini research centre, said the researchers had observed the Buffalo live stream video and propaganda material spreading extensively within New Zealand groups they monitored. ![]() The families of the victims "are united in their pursuit of understanding, seeking clarity on whether their loved ones could have survived," he said. Maha Galal, spokesperson for the "15 March Whanau Trust" representing the victims' relatives, said in a statement the "paramount concern is to comprehend the truth." What the Christchurch victims' families have said The inquest will also look into if Tarrant might have received any external help to orchestrate the deadly shooting. Tarrant was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in August 2020 after admitting to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism. He also published a manifesto online before carrying out the attacks. More than 600 people are slotted to attend the hearing in-person over the course of the six weeks.Īustralian Brenton Tarrant, armed with high-capacity semi-automatic weapons, live-streamed the attacks on the Al Noor mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre on social media on March 15, 2019. Nearly 5,000 images, 3,000 audio files, and 80 hours of video evidence will be examined by the inquest. Windley emphasized that the focus was not on establishing liability or negligence, but rather on holding individuals accountable. The six-week inquiry, overseen by Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley, will investigate the day's events, including emergency responses, and issues such as the malfunction of an emergency exit at a mosque.Īccording to the Radio New Zealand, Windley said the inquiry attempts to shed light "to the cause and circumstances of death," and "to look to the future, whether comments or recommendations may be made, to reduce the chances of further deaths in similar circumstances." What the inquest into the Christchurch terror attack aims to achieve A coronial inquiry into the 2019 terror attacks in which 51 people were killed in the New Zealand city of Christchurch began on Tuesday with a tribute video for those who lost their lives. ![]()
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