Notorious conspiracy theorist Karen Brewer has been arrested by police while protesting as part of a wider plan to overthrow the Government.
Brewer, who has thousands of followers on social media for her COVID-19 scepticism and claims about Freemasons and pedophiles in powerful positions, had been calling for mass protests on Tuesday morning to force Parliament in Australia and New Zealand to be dismissed.
"Millions of people will be mobilised both sides of the ditch at these locations," she said on Telegram ahead of the protest, which has been six months in the making.
"We stand at these locations NO MATTER WHAT."
Images posted Tuesday morning show her waiting outside the Far North District Council for 9am to start her protest while police officers approach her. It appears from footage she is the only protester there.
"You need to leave immediately or else you will be arrested," an officer warned in a video.
The latest update on Brewer's Telegram channel confirmed she had been arrested, to the shock of her followers.
"This gives us more strength. Nelson Mandela was in prison for decades then he became president," one person commented.
Others thought planning a protest of millions of people on a public social media platform might have tipped off authorities.
"This whole silent gathering op, was waaay too telegraphed, in my humble opinion," one person noted.
"The satanic powers not to be will brand Karen and all other so-called leaders of resistance as terrorists. It's all part of the overall covert-19 psyop agenda."
Police say Brewer was one of 19 arrested for breaching alert level 4 restrictions during small anti-lockdown protests outside government and local council buildings around the country this morning.
Two were arrested in Northland, four arrested in Auckland, three in Hamiton, and six in the Bay of Plenty following a gathering outside the Tauranga City Council building.
Another small gathering was reported in Taupo, with one arrest made, while Central District Police responded to small groups of protestors outside council buildings in New Plymouth, Whanganui and Manawatū. Two people were arrested at the Whanganui protest.
A demonstration also took place outside the council building in Nelson. No arrests were made.
In Christchurch, one person was arrested following a protest outside a council building.
"While these protests were small, the actions of those involved are very disappointing," says Police Commissioner Andrew Coster.
"While protest is a normal feature of a well-functioning democracy, Police have a low tolerance for anyone who deliberately ignores the restrictions in the current situation. Today's arrests reflect that.
"The alert level is in place to protect us all and we need everyone to do their part."
Brewer has previously said being arrested would give "really valuable intel" as it would allow you to scope out the police station.
"I need to do what I need to do to get inside the police station so you can map out the ins and outs, the entrances, the exits, how it's layed-out inside. Really important intel," she explained in a YouTube video posted earlier this year.
Leading up to the protest, Brewer ordered her followers to stand in silence outside local Government buildings, the Beehive and the Governor-General’s residences in Auckland and Wellington.
Not a single person turned up at the Beehive or Government House in Wellington, according to Newshub cameras at the scene.
One person who claims to have turned up to Government House in Auckland turned on fellow members of the group.
"Kiwis are GUTLESS. I was one of only 2 cars that showed up at government house in Auckland before a van full of cops showed up," they wrote on social media.
Another member said they were disgusted their leader was by herself at the protest.
"Y’all just keep typing your way to slavery ! Karen stood alone because you couldn’t be bothered to stand with her disgusting! OMG I give up on man kind bunch of lazy sheep."
Police have previously said they are pleased with the public’s overall response to alert level 4 restrictions - but warn they will step up enforcement.
"Now is not the time to throw caution to the wind or take unnecessary risks," Police Commissioner Andrew Coster said in a statement on Monday.
"Police will not tolerate behaviour that deliberately jeopardises everyone’s efforts to date.
"We all know the rules by now so the public can expect police to move from education through to enforcement more quickly in these circumstances."
Brewer has previously been ordered to pay almost $1 million in damages to an Australian MP over a slew of defamatory social media posts accusing her of being "a member of a secretive paedophile network".
