The right wing activist who described the Christchurch mosque massacre as ‘karma’ is also wanted for crimes against a Gosford church.
Melbourne man Neil Erikson has an outstanding non-custodial warrant out on him after he failed to appear in the Gosford Local Court in September 2018.
He is charged with using threats to prevent a clergyman discharging duties, and disturbing religious worship.
In May of 2018 it is alleged that Erikson and up to seven other people stormed into the Anglican Parish of Gosford dressed as Roman soldiers and Jesus Christ to protest Father Rod Bower.
The right wing activist who described the Christchurch Mosque massacre as ‘karma’ is also wanted for crimes against a Gosford church after an incident in May 2018 (pictured, Neil Erikson)
Melbourne man Neil Erikson has an outstanding non-custodial warrant out on him after he failed to appear in the Gosford Local Court in September 2018 charged with using threats to prevent a clergyman discharging duties, and disturbing religious worship
Erikson told Daily Mail Australia the protest was against perceived left wing bias by Fr Bower.
‘He uses his position at the church to share political vocal points and I am within my rights to protest his church,’ Erikson said.
‘The law is for religious people not political activists.’
Erikson was also one of the men who pinned down William Connolly, who egged Fraser Anning at a protest rally.
He said police were yet to arrest him and return him to Gosford because he was back in Victoria, where he lives.
‘Come and get me Rod Bower,’ Mr Erikson said.
‘What set it (protest) off was the signs he has, that he puts provocative things on, about the ANZACS and defending the Burqa.’
He said he dressed as Jesus before entering the church while another of the group dressed as a Roman soldier in order to re-enact scenes from the Bible.
Fr Bower told Daily Mail Australia he accepts Erikson’s right to an opinion but he was not entitled to ‘disrupt Christian worship’.
‘It was a violent act, while it wasn’t physically violent it was a violent act, people in the Church were scared with is actions,’ he said.
‘He made it an unsafe environment.’
Fr Bower said he did not accept the rationale by Erikson that he was left wing or used his platform for left wing ideals.
Erikson (far left) said he was the man who held down William Connolly’s head (pictured) after he cracked an egg over Senator Fraser Anning’s head
‘You don’t get to obey the laws you agree with and not the ones you don’t.’
Fr Bower said he had no issues with protesting and Erikson and others were completely within their rights to protest outside or across the street, but not inside the church.
Fr Bower said he took to Twitter when he saw that one of the men holding down William Connolly was Erikson.
Erikson posted footage of the Church invasion to the You Tube page Senator Slayer titled Erikson confronts Rod Bower.
Erikson told Daily Mail Australia the protest was against perceived left wing bias by Fr Bower
Fr Bower said he had no issues with protesting and Erikson and others were completely within their rights to protest outside or across the street, but not inside the church
The footage shows Erikson storming into the church dressed as Jesus with a megaphone, one young lady is heard screaming in terror until she realises what is happening.
Fr Bower tells them they are desecrating sacred worship before Erikson begins to read from a pre-written speech, at which point Fr Bower tries to drown him out with religious song.
After a few minutes Erikson is escorted out by the man dressed as a Roman soldier.
In an online post after the Christchurch terrorist attack, Erikson describes the far-right movement as ‘the sleeping dragon that has now awoken’.
‘It is karma, this is what happens when you attack a people for so long,’ he said.
‘I am not surprised this happened. I am not condoning terrorism or going out and shooting people, but what do you expect when your religion goes around beheading, murdering, raping white Christians particularly in the western world.’
Erikson said he does not intend to go to Gosford to answer his charges and he would have to be taken across the border by force to do so.
‘They can’t get me over the border,’ he said.
‘They’ve tried.’
Erikson said he does not intend to go to Gosford to answer his charges and he would have to be taken across the border by force to do so
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