Synlait investigating 'white supremacist' worker

Friday, 21 May 2021

Synlait Milk is investigating after allegations of white supremacy were made against one of its workers.

The dairy company issued a statement on Friday in response to a petition calling for a review of its employment of right-wing blogger and alleged white supremacist Lee Williams.

The change.org petition, started by Justice Aotearoa on Thursday, called for Synlait to “make it clear that they give nothing to racism, most especially a pay cheque”.

As of Friday afternoon, it had attracted more than 3800 signatures.

A petition has been launched calling for dairy company Synlait to review the contract of its employee and alleged white supremacist, Lee Williams.

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The petition claims Williams, author of the Cross the Rubicon blog, has been responsible for “disseminating extreme white supremacist material, and has consistently been reported for creating objectionable and racist media for his channel”.

Lee Williams says the people behind a petition calling for his employer to review his contract want to “cancel and destroy” him. (File photo)

In 2019 Williams’ YouTube channel was banned for three-months following a series of complaints.

“More recently he has taken to directly attacking Maori MPs, Rawiri Waititi and honourable Willie Jackson, using blatantly racist rhetoric and is actively and deliberately stoking public fear in response to the He Puapua report,” the petition says.

In a statement, Synlait said it “takes these matters very seriously” and was conducting an investigation.

“We are deeply concerned that someone has these views. Lee Williams’ views are his own. These views are not shared or held by Synlait.”

In a video response to the petition, Williams said its creators wanted to “cancel and destroy” him for “telling the truth of what is happening in New Zealand”.

“They’re trying to say I’m a violent white supremacist, would you believe that? This is how disgusting they are.”

In a second follow-up video, Williams said he had been suspended from his job while the investigation was carried out.

He requested help with the cost of a flight back to the United Kingdom, from both his supporters and the “Marxists and haters” who opposed him.

Williams had also started a counter petition against the “cancelation [sic] culture driven by far leftists and Maori supremacists in NZ”.

At midday Friday, it had been signed by 23 people.