Chantelle Baker is a New Zealand social media influencer and far right activist who is the daughter of former New Conservative Party leader Leighton Baker. In 2022, she attracted domestic media attention for her involvement in the 2022 Wellington protest and for her promotion of anti-vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories.[1][2]

Family

Chantelle Baker is the daughter of Leighton Baker, who served as the leader of the New Conservative Party leader between 2015 and 2020.[1][3][4] According to The Spinoff, Baker was a self-described fashionista and reality TV competitor who posted mainly fashion and beauty-related videos prior to the 2022 Wellington protest.[5]

Activism

Opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates

By February 2022, Chantelle claimed 100,000 followers on social media. Between February and March 2022, Chantelle and her father Leighton took part in the 2022 Wellington protest against the covid vaccine and mandates. During the protest, Chantelle used Facebook and Instagram to distribute livestream footage of the protest, interviews promoting vaccine conspiracies including that COVID-19 vaccines could make a person "magnetic," and updates about court proceedings against protesters who were arrested. Though she and her father claimed not to speak on behalf of the protesters, they met with the Police to discuss the protest and the resulting vehicle blockage in the Wellington CBD.[1][6] The Spinoff's editor Toby Manhire described her as the "Instagram-ready face of the protest" due to her prolific social media promotion of the protest.[6]

After the Police dispersed the protesters from the New Zealand Parliament's grounds on 3 March 2022, Chantelle claimed that fires started by protesters were started by police and agent provocateurs.[7][8] Following the Wellington parliament protest, Baker continued sharing information on social media that conflicted with public health advice and expressed support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[9]

In mid-August 2022, Meta Platforms disabled Baker's Facebook page for violating their policy of sharing misinformation that could lead to harm. Meta did not suspend Baker's Instagram profile, which she continued to use to communicate with her followers.[10][9] Baker has claimed that both the Stuff media company and New Zealand Government conspired to deplatform her Facebook account.[11][12]

Operation People

By late August 2022, Baker had established a media company called Operation People. Waimakariri District Council candidate and conspiracy theorist Phil Shaw owned a 32% share in Operation People through his film and video production company Scryptworx Studios Limited.[13]

In mid-October 2022, The Spinoff reported that Baker had established a new Facebook page that was part of a "new independent media group." That same month, The Spinoff reported that she had met and interviewed the Dutch far right politician Thierry Baudet and attended the Vienna leg of the Better Way Conference, an international gathering of conspiracy theorists. Baker also visited Ukraine including Odesa and Kyiv to cover the Russo-Ukrainian conflict for the media group she was working for.[5]

In December 2022, Baker and her media company Operation People co-produced a documentary with film studio Heanna Gain called We Came Here For Freedom Part I. The documentary looked at the events of 2022 Wellington protest from the perspective of the protesters and was written and directed by Alistair Harding.[14][15] The second part was released in July and August 2023.[14][16]

Reality Check Radio

In March 2023, Baker became a host on anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom's online radio station Reality Check Radio (RCR).[17]

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 McConnell, Glenn (16 February 2022). "Who is who at the Convoy 2022 occupation of Parliament's grounds". Stuff. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  2. ↑ "'Super spreader' of false claims banned from Facebook". Otago Daily Times. Allied Press. 21 August 2022. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  3. ↑ "Leighton Baker appointed as new Conservative Party leader". Newshub. 24 January 2017. Archived from the original on 26 January 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  4. ↑ Braae, Alex (19 November 2020). "Coup Conservatives? Leader ousted to make way for 'outspoken' Elliot Ikilei". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  5. 1 2 Reeve, Dylan (17 October 2022). "Conspiracy influencer Chantelle Baker is livestreaming from Ukraine". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  6. 1 2 Manhire, Toby (18 February 2022). "Figureheads and factions: the key people at the parliament occupation". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  7. ↑ Reeve, Dylan (3 March 2022). "When misinformation spreads like fire". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  8. ↑ Sowman-Lund, Stewart (3 March 2022). "Leighton Baker among those arrested after parliament riot, says daughter". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Covid-19: Anti-vaxx campaigner Chantelle Baker's Facebook page deactivated". The New Zealand Herald. 21 August 2022. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  10. ↑ Small, Zane (21 August 2022). "Prominent anti-mandate protester Chantelle Baker banned from Facebook". Newshub. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  11. ↑ Sean Plunket (22 August 2022). Chantelle Baker talks about her ban from Facebook. The Platform. Event occurs at 18:47. Archived from the original (YouTube video) on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  12. ↑ Sean Plunket (9 December 2022). Sean Plunket talks with Chantelle Baker who gets taken down again (YouTube video). The Platform. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  13. ↑ Porter, Nadine (26 August 2022). "Council candidate has one-third stake in conspiracy theorist's new media company". Stuff. Archived from the original on 20 October 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Documentary Film - We Came Here For Freedom". We Came Here For Freedom. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  15. ↑ "Video: We Came Here For Freedom (part one)". The Daily Examiner. 2 December 2022. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  16. ↑ "Alistair Harding On His New Documentary - "We Came Here For Freedom: Part 2'". Reality Check Radio. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
  17. ↑ Greive, Duncan (7 March 2023). "There's now Voices for Freedom online radio for people who find The Platform too woke". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
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