Philip Arps

Philip Neville Arps is a New Zealand white supremacist best known for being jailed after publicly sharing the livestream of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings.

Philip Arps
Born1974/1975 (age 46–47)[1]
OccupationBusinessman
Known forWhite supremacy

Before 2019

Prior to March 2019, Arps was a Christchurch businessman, who owned a "Nazi-themed insulation company"[2][3] and had more than 30 previous criminal convictions for indecent assault, guns, drugs, burglary, and fraud.[2] A 2019 news report referred to "an indecent assault on a woman in 1999".[4] Another report described him as having been "previously made bankrupt in 2001".[5] In 2016, Arps pled guilty to charges of "offensive behaviour" after being part of a group that delivered pigs' heads and offal to a Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch.[6][7] The mosque was collecting food donations to send to Fiji in the aftermath of Cyclone Winston and the animal remains were left in a box marked "Fiji".[8] In a video of the crime they took, Arps and another man give Nazi salutes and Arps says, "White power ... Bring on the cull." He was fined $800.[9]

Christchurch mosque shootings, 2019

On 15 March 2019 there was a mass shooting in Christchurch targeting Muslims. The livestream of the shooting was quickly classified by David Shanks of the Office of Film and Literature Classification as "objectionable" under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993, making it a criminal offense to possess or distribute it, and police took action against 13 people in relation to the video.[10] Arps sent the video to 30 people, describing it as "awesome",[11] and asked a friend to modify it by adding cross-hairs and a "kill count".[12] When arrested he told police that he "could not give a fuck, mate" about the shooting victims.[9]

He was found guilty of distributing objectionable material.[5] At one of his court appearances, Arps distributed copies of the "Holocaust Handbooks" series by German holocaust denier Germar Rudolf to journalists and the public.[13] In June 2019, Arps was sentenced to 21 months in jail, with Massey University distinguished professor Paul Spoonley describing him as "an unrepentant, hardcore white supremacist".[10] At his sentencing Judge Stephen O'Driscoll described Arps as "remorseless". His pre-sentencing report included matters that gave the judge "real concern", including Arps comparing himself to Rudolf Hess, Deputy Führer of Nazi Germany. Arps filed the first of two unsuccessful appeals against his sentence on the day he received it.[14]

His sentencing and unsuccessful appeals were later referenced by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack as part of its paper on hate crime.[15] Answering a question from the public the Commission of Inquiry also reported "no evidence [the shooter] knows Philip Arps or that there was any other connection between them."[16]

"White supremacist" complaint

Arps was called a "white supremacist" in a television piece filmed by Newshub journalist Patrick Gower and broadcast on 30 June 2019. He submitted a complaint to the Broadcasting Standards Authority on the grounds that this label was "inaccurate and unbalanced". The BSA found that "we do not consider the issue of whether Mr Arps is a ‘white supremacist’ to be a controversial issue" and that Gower's words were "clearly a statement of analysis and opinion". Arps's complaint was not upheld.[17]

Release on bail and subsequent charges

Arps was released on bail in January 2020.[18] In August 2020 he was arrested and appeared in court after visiting a home brew store next door to Linwood Mosque. Charges were dropped, but in December he returned to court and a new condition was added to his release, preventing him from coming within 100m of the Linwood Islamic Centre.[19][20] New bail-related charges were filed against Arps on January 8, 2021.[21] He was arrested again in March 2021, accused of sending obscene messages to a probation officer. Police opposed bail, but it was granted.[22]

On 18 February 2022 Arps appeared in the Christchurch District Court, again charged with breaching his release conditions. He refused to wear a mask or take a rapid COVID test, and told the court he was unvaccinated. A New Zealand flag was draped over his shoulder during his appearance. (He had been in court five days earlier on a separate matter relating to the Convoy 2022 New Zealand protest - see "Public execution" arrest, 2022 below.) Arps was accused of abusing probation officers and failing to charge his GPS tracker. He was remanded on bail with the trial set to resume on June 16.[23]

Activity after 2019

"Public execution" arrest, 2022

Arps was arrested in Picton on 11 February 2022 while travelling north to join the Convoy 2022 New Zealand protest in Wellington. According to media reports he had told people at a Christchurch petrol station that was on his way to a "public execution", and that “I’ve been promising it, I’ll see you in seven to 10 years”. He also reportedly threatened to kill members of the public and police.

He was charged with threatening to kill and using offensive language. Three days later, on Monday 14, he was granted bail with conditions including a ban on entering the greater Wellington area. His next hearing was scheduled for 22 April.[24]

Additional reading

References
  1. Bayer, Kurt (10 November 2020). "Christchurch white supremacist Philip Arps wants Corrections to pay his legal bills". NZ Herald.
  2. "Rejected: Philip Arps, who shared Christchurch mosque shootings video, loses second bid to ease strict prison release conditions". NZ Herald.
  3. "Nazi-themed company Beneficial Insulation reported to police after Christchurch shootings". Stuff.co.nz. 19 March 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  4. Bayer, Kurt (18 June 2019). "Dark past of white supremacist Philip Arps jailed over Christchurch mosque shooting video revealed". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  5. "Nazi-themed company owner charged with possessing objectionable material". 19 March 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  6. "Philip Arps guilty of sharing livestream of Christchurch mosque massacre". Stuff. 26 April 2019.
  7. Nippert, Matt (19 March 2019). "Christchurch mosque shootings: Pig heads delivered to mosque in 2016". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  8. Crawford, Hal (12 May 2019). "Opinion: Why we ran the video of the white supremacist and the pig's head". Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  9. "Extra release conditions sought for Chch white supremacist". Otago Daily Times. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  10. "'Unrepentant, hardcore white supremacist' jailed after sharing terror video". Stuff.co.nz. 18 June 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  11. Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com). "Christchurch neo-Nazi jailed for sharing mosque murder video | News | DW | 18.06.2019". DW. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  12. "White supremacist Philip Arps charged for allegedly offending probation officer". Stuff.co.nz. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  13. "Christchurch man Philip Arps charged with sending 'offensive' message hands out Holocaust leaflets in court". NZ Herald.
  14. "White supremacist Philip Arps has second appeal for sharing mosque shooting video". Stuff.co.nz. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  15. "Hate speech and hate crime related legislation". Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Attack on Christchurch Mosques on 15 March 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  16. "Ko tō tātou kāinga tēnei Report: Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019". Ch 8. Questions asked by the community. Retrieved 8 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  17. Hastings, Bill; Rose, Paula; Staley, Susie (7 May 2020). "ARPS AND MEDIAWORKS TV LTD – 2019-073B (7 MAY 2020)". Broadcasting Standards Authority. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  18. "White supremacist Philip Arps released from prison, banned from contact with Muslims" – via www.newshub.co.nz.
  19. Ensor, Blair; Sherwood, Sam (25 August 2020). "White supremacist Philip Arps was at homebrew store when arrested by police". Stuff. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  20. Lourens, Mariné (14 December 2020). "White supremacist Philip Arps not allowed within 100m of Linwood mosque". Stuff. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  21. Allot, Amber (26 January 2021). "White supremacist Philip Arps accused of breaching release conditions". Stuff. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  22. Lourens, Mariné (11 March 2021). "White supremacist Philip Arps charged for allegedly offending probation officer". Stuff. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  23. Lourens, Marine (18 February 2022). "White supremacist Philip Arps refuses rapid antigen test ahead of court trial". Stuff. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  24. Eder, Jennifer. "White supremacist Philip Arps arrested after alleged 'public execution' comment". Stuff. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
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