Karen Brewer filmed herself as she was arrested outside the closed Far North District Council chambers on Tuesday. Photo / supplied
Karen Brewer filmed herself as she was arrested outside the closed Far North District Council chambers on Tuesday. Photo / supplied
A woman arrested in Kaikohe on Tuesday after organising a series of small-scale protests around the country in defiance of lockdown rules is due back in court on September 21.
Karen Brewer, an Australian citizen, was charged with breaching a Covid order and has been bailed to her home inthe Mid North.
She was arrested outside the Far North District Council chambers and made a brief appearance in the Kaikohe District Court later that day.
Brewer had started organising the demonstrations months earlier. They had been publicised via Facebook and other social media channels, posters and ''Freemasonry is the virus'' stickers placed over Covid-19 QR codes at businesses around Northland.
She also spoke at a Significant Natural Areas public meeting in Kāeo in June and her flyers were distributed at a ute-tax protest in Kerikeri the following month.
Brewer's flyers, headlined Enough is Enough: Our Governments are Abusive, called on all 31 million people in Australasia to assemble in silence at 9am on August 31 before marching on local and central government offices.
A flyer was distributed around Northland ahead of the protests. Photo / supplied
The protesters were then supposed to occupy the buildings until all elected representatives stood down and fresh elections were called.
Brewer's claims, as detailed in the flyer, include plans for a mass genocide of mankind by a branch of the Freemasons. Other claims relate to paedophilia at high levels of Australian society.
Up to 20 people gathered at Mander Park in Whangārei at the appointed time. Other small-scale protests took place in Kaitaia, Kaikohe, Tauranga, Taupō, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Nelson and Christchurch. Nationally 19 people were arrested.
Karen Brewer had hoped 31 million people would silently march into government offices on Tuesday. Photo / supplied
One person was arrested in Whangārei but later released and issued with an infringement notice.
Due to the lockdown the council chambers in Kaikohe were locked when protesters arrived. Most participants dispersed on police advice but Brewer was arrested.
