Supremacist stalks activist
An activist against hate speech has been left shaken after a far-right YouTuber stalked him and entered his workplace.
Byron Clark was on the phone in his Christchurch office on Thursday when Lee Williams entered the building, videoing as he approached Clark.
Williams had been dismissed from dairy company Synlait for expressing extreme views on social media, including on a YouTube channel that posts far-right content.
An online petition called for him to be sacked and stated Williams had been responsible for disseminating extreme white supremacist material.
Clark and Williams have previously sparred online about each other’s views, but the workplace visit marked an escalation in Williams’ behaviour.
The video, which has been seen by Stuff, shows Williams walking up to Clark’s desk.
‘‘I hope you don’t mind,’’ he says, as Clark quickly rises from his seat and tells him he does mind before asking him to leave. Williams responds that he is ‘‘just there to film him’’, to which a clearly shocked Clark tells him he is not welcome.
Clark then tells a security guard ‘‘this guy is a stalker’’. When the security guard asks him to leave, Williams proclaims loudly that Clark is ‘‘a coward’’ and a ‘‘far leftist’’ who supports the Palestinian Liberation Army. As Clark calls the police, Williams is escorted from the building, still videoing, and says that he ‘‘got’’ Clark because he knows where he works.
Soon after the incident, police served Williams with a trespass notice and Clark has begun proceedings to get a restraining order against him. Williams has since posted the incident online and has widely circulated the video among far-right groups.
For Clark, concern remains around the message Williams is sending to his followers. ‘‘While he himself might not escalate to violence, it doesn’t mean his followers won’t.’’ Clark alleged Williams had previously published details of where he lived and he had subsequently received derogative notes in his letterbox. He also received two serious email death threats earlier this month from anonymous email addresses. He reported the threats to police.
A police spokesperson confirmed Clark’s complaints but could not give any further information.
Clark said police had told him it would be difficult to trace anonymous email threats. He said he felt as though he was waiting for a serious incident to occur before something was able to be done – but it hasn’t made him want to quit producing video essays focused on the far right and conspiracy theories. ‘‘That is their goal but I am not going to stop,’’ he said.
Clark said he worried about his family’s safety and has kept them informed when he has been threatened.
Many people condemned Williams for entering Clark’s office, including the Canterbury Socialist Society, of which Clark is a member. A spokesperson said it stood behind its members and utterly condemned anti-social harassment. ‘‘Whatever victim complex Lee Williams and others may have, Byron has not targeted them personally and merely reports on their views and political activities.’’
Stuff tried to contact Williams on social media but did not receive a response.
Since the pandemic began, a number of commentators and journalists have reported increased threats of abuse.