Police responsible for Yemini travel ban?

The BFD reports:

Last week Australian journalist Avi Yemini was prevented by Immigration NZ from entering New Zealand. Media at the time suggested that the decision was made by Immigration NZ, but an investigation by The BFD suggests that it was in fact the NZ Police who were acting to stop both Avi Yemini and Rukshan Fernando from entering New Zealand and covering the protest at parliament in Wellington.

And what was the basis for the Police action?

A trusted source contacted The BFD to let us know that Police were lying and that documents existed to prove that. Police had used the Interpol Global Secured Communication System (IGSC) to ask Interpol Canberra for assistance in providing information that would enable the NZ Police to “stop the two from entering New Zealand”. …

As you can see the email is dated the day after the NZ Herald article, and also quotes the same information used in the NZ Herald article. The email also explicitly states that “NZ Police would like to stop the two from entering NZ.” So, it was Police who wanted the two journalists banned, not Immigration NZ. 

So the Police decided to try and get them banned on the basis of a Herald article, and then asked Interpol to find some information to justify the ban!

Read the full article at the BFD to see the leaked e-mails. This is hugely concerning that the Police work behind the scenes to ban people from entering New Zealand because they may speak at an anti-Government protest.

When Holocaust denier David Irving wanted to come to NZ, I supported his right to travel and speak here even though I regard him with total contempt. But I would rather he speak, and we could criticise and mock what he says, than have the Government decide on the basis of political views who can come here. Only those who actively promote violence should be banned.