Summarised by Centrist
New Zealand has allowed its terrorist designation of the American far-right group the Proud Boys to expire, with no immediate plan to renew it.
A notice in the New Zealand Gazette confirmed the lapse of the 2022 designation under the Terrorism Suppression Act.
A Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet spokesperson said the group remains “on the radar” of New Zealand’s Terrorism Designation Working Group and could be reconsidered if new evidence arises.
“Designating any group as a terrorist entity is a significant step,” the spokesperson said. “It is important any recommendation to do so is in accordance with our legislation.”
The Proud Boys’ original designation described the group as deploying “crypto-fascism” to mask extremist ideology and noted how it used its former non-white chairman as a “foil against accusations of white supremacy.” The mask, it said, ultimately revealed the group as “ideologically fascist.”
The lapse comes after US President Donald Trump pardoned some Proud Boys members involved in the January 6, 2021 Capitol event.
New Zealand law requires groups to be actively involved in terrorism to maintain designation.
Read more over at The NZ Herald
Image: Anthony Crider
