Draft:Sam Brittenden

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Sam Richard Scott Brittenden
Born	Christchurch, New Zealand
Education	University of Otago

Sam Richard Scott Brittenden is a New Zealand political activist who has been associated with far-right and white nationalist organisations.

In 2019, he was convicted of disorderly behaviour after making anti-Muslim remarks in Dunedin. The following year, he was convicted of failing to assist police during a search carried out as part of an investigation into an online threat against Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch.

2019 disorderly behaviour conviction

Between Castle Street and Albany Street

In March 2019, Brittenden was a law student at the University of Otago. The day after the Christchurch mosque shootings, he was partying with other students. He approached a police patrol on Castle Street and made anti-Muslim remarks, telling officers words to the effect of "Muslims are not welcome in our country. Go home Muslims". He also called the officers "right-wing fascists".

Brittenden pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour in the Dunedin District Court. The court sentenced him to 125 hours of community work and six months of supervision. His lawyer described the offending as the "drunken ramblings of an 18-year-old" and unsuccessfully applied for permanent name suppression.

Brittenden said he was not racist and described what happened as a drunken and foolish episode. His father, Scott Brittenden, said he was deeply disappointed by his son's behaviour and travelled from Christchurch to help him seek assistance. Brittenden and his father enrolled him with a psychologist, and Brittenden donated $500 to victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings.

2020 Al Noor Mosque threat investigation

Al Noor Mosque

In March 2020, shortly before the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque shootings, a picture of a person outside Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch, accompanied by threatening commentary, was sent to thousands of people through an encrypted messaging app. Police investigated the reported threat and searched a Christchurch property. Newsroom reported that chat logs from a Telegram channel linked the account associated with the threat to an Action Zealandia member.

Police raided a Christchurch property on 4 March 2020 and arrested Brittenden. He was charged with failing, without reasonable excuse, to assist police exercising a search power. His application for interim name suppression was declined at his first court appearance. He was released on bail with conditions that included restrictions on entering Hagley Park and possessing firearms or restricted weapons. Brittenden was not charged with making the mosque threat. The charge related to his conduct during the police search. The charge arose from his refusal to provide police with the passcode to his cellphone after they raided his house.

Brittenden pleaded guilty to the charge in July 2020. His lawyer, James Rapley QC, said Brittenden had made a “mistake and was foolish”. Brittenden later wrote a letter to police apologising for wasting their time. Rapley said police had analysed the phone and told Brittenden that there would be no further charges. Brittenden was convicted, fined $500, and ordered to pay $130 in court costs. He left the Christchurch District Court flanked by private security guards and was taken away in a waiting vehicle.

Action Zealandia

Brittenden was identified by Critic Te Ārohi as a member of Action Zealandia.

Brittenden's case was discussed in a 2021 article by the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York examining New Zealand's extreme far-right. The article described him as an alleged member of Action Zealandia and reported that he had been arrested in a police raid reportedly related to threats against the Al Noor Mosque. It noted that he was not charged over the mosque threat, but was convicted for failing to assist with a search warrant after repeatedly providing an incorrect passcode for his phone. The article also referred to his previous conviction for disorderly behaviour following anti-Muslim remarks made the day after the Christchurch attacks.

Later activities

SSPX Resistance

In March 2022, Irish outlet The Southern Star reported that Brittenden was believed to have joined the New Zealand chapter of the SSPX Resistance, a breakaway group from the Society of Saint Pius X. The newspaper reported that he was expected to move to the group's base in West Cork, Ireland, that month, having made arrangements to travel via Belfast.

Let Women Speak rally

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull being escorted by police after the Let Women Speak rally in Auckland, 25 March 2023

In March 2023, Brittenden attended British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull's (known as Posie Parker) Let Women Speak rally at Albert Park, Auckland. Brittenden, whom it described as a member of the white nationalist group Action Zealandia, was reported by multiple outlets as among a range of far-right individuals and groups attending the rally.

Driving incident

In 2026, Brittenden pursued a man and a woman from Christchurch to Rolleston before his vehicle collided with their car, which then struck a low concrete wall. He then broke their car windows. The woman was psychologically traumatised and said it took her nine months to find stability. Brittenden pleaded guilty to five related charges and was sentenced to a six-month nightly curfew, 100 hours of community work, and disqualified from driving.

Remigration New Zealand

In 2026, Brittenden was identified as a member of Remigration New Zealand, an activist group campaigning for "remigration". Brittenden was linked to an X account called "Antipodean Man". Posts from the account expressed support for Adolf Hitler, denied the Holocaust and advocated the deportation of Asians from New Zealand.

Recordings of online voice chats obtained by The Press included comments by Brittenden about New Zealand First. He said, "Right now, we don't have a single voice in government", and described New Zealand First as civic nationalists rather than ethnic nationalists. He then said, "We need MPs."

Remigration New Zealand told The Press that it did not plan to stand for election in 2026, but instead intended to pressure parties seeking to form the Government to adopt policies aligned with its goals.

See also

• Action Zealandia
• Far-right politics in New Zealand
• Christchurch mosque shootings

References

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• Living people
• Year of birth missing (living people)
• Far-right politics in New Zealand
• New Zealand activists
• University of Otago alumni