Takapuna candidate dropped over Auckland Council’s safety concerns, bullies set the rules

29 September 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bullies set the rules: Jewish local candidate dropped over safety concerns

After heightened safety concerns, a local Takapuna candidate is a victim of the Thugs’ Veto after she was removed from her local body ticket because she is Jewish. Rewarding intimidation is exactly how you fuel the bullies and compromise democracy. History will continue to repeat itself if more is not done, says Stephen Franks, Chair of the Free Speech Union Council.

“The Takapuna ticket ‘The Fresh Approach’ has removed candidate Karin Horen following a meeting with Auckland Council about heightened safety concerns, negative messages, and vandalised signs. Horen was targeted because she is Jewish. But bowing to the bullies is not the way forward.

“The decision was justified by Auckland Council security warnings ahead of upcoming candidate meetings. But Auckland Council should know better. They’ve let the bullies win before the events have even begun. If there are genuine security threats to physical safety, measures should be put in place and peaceful counter-protest encouraged.

“But instead, intimidation was rewarded, sending a clear message to opponents that bullying works. That not only emboldens those seeking to silence views with which they disagree but also chills democratic participation across the country.

“We cannot allow mob pressure to dictate who can and can’t run for local bodies in New Zealand. If this precedent stands, then it won’t be voters who decide who represents them. The Free Speech Union has consistently advocated against the Thugs’ Veto, and these cases wouldn’t still emerge if our leaders and authorities shared our concerns.

“The Supreme Court in Moncrief-Spittle v Regional Facilities Auckland had the opportunity to effectively address the Thug’s Veto, but failed this test. That failure has left councils and public providers without the guidance they need to uphold freedom of expression in the face of bullying and intimidation.”