Pro-rape group leader could be barred from New Zealand

New Zealand's "good character" requirements could stop the head of a pro-rape group entering the country.

The US-based head of a "neomasculinist" group - who has expressed support for Roast Busters in the past and advocates for legalising rape on private property - is setting up meetings for like-minded men across the globe on Saturday, including in New Zealand.

Daryush "Roosh" Valizadeh, head of Return of Kings, has shared his plans to visit Australia on social media but if he tries to pop across the ditch to New Zealand there's a chance he will be denied access.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said all people coming to New Zealand must be "of good character".

READ MORE:
* Louise Nicholas tells 'legal rape' group: Walk in my shoes for a day
* New Zealand men to protest 'neomasculinist' group meetings
* 'Neomasculinist' group plan international meetp 
* Women's Refuge call for 'pick-up artist' group to be banned 
* Controversial 'pick-up artists' cancel NZ event plans 
* How to talk to young people about sexual consent 
* Game over: Pick-up artist changes his tune  
* How Twitter took down pick-up artist Julien Blanc

It was difficult to say whether that requirement would be met by Valizadeh, Woodhouse said.

"There is a fine line between free speech and hate speech and groups like this sit very close to that line.

"I would strongly encourage anyone in this circumstance to test their eligibility to enter New Zealand prior to travel to avoid any issues that may arise at the border."

On Tuesday, Australia's opposition Senate leader said Valizadeh should be denied a visa and the Department of Immigration said it would continue to monitor him.

"In the past people advocating violence against women have had their visa refused or cancelled," an Australian immigration spokeswoman said.

However, Valizadeh taunted authorities on social media with threats to sneak into Australia by boat.

"Their borders are weak. I'll get in," he said.

"I won't be stopped."

'IT'S TIME TO GO UNDERGROUND'

Despite his arrogant online tirades, Valizadeh has decided to take precautions with some of his international meetings scheduled for Saturday evening.

Strong backlash from a selection of countries, including New Zealand, have forced Return of Kings to take the meetings "underground".

In a post on his Roosh V forum - titled "Operation Save the Foreign Meetups" - Valizadeh said in order to save the group's "most threatened meetups", like-minded men in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Iceland and United Kingdom needed to come up with alternate meeting locations.

New Zealand's meetups are planned for Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin.

The original locations were listed as Aotea Square in Auckland, Glover Park in front of The Rogue & Vagabond in Wellington, and in front of Dunedin Town Hall, but these look set to change.

Followers were instructed to meet at these places, identify each other using code phrases, then move to another location.

An Auckland man who planned to attend the event said he would not reveal the meeting location.

'WE'VE GOT ENOUGH PROBLEMS WITH TOXIC MASCULINITY'

Meanwhile, New Zealand men are planning protests in opposition to the Return of Kings meetups.

Auckland man John Palethorpe was part of a group organising a protest against the "pro rape" group.

Hundreds are expected to attend the peaceful occupation - dubbed an "anti-misogyny party" - at Auckland's Aotea Square on Saturday from 8pm.

Palethorpe said Valizadeh embodied "the sort of aggressive, violent, misogyny women face everyday".

"Even if no one turns up, the idea [Return of the Kings] has organised a meeting like that, just repulses me.

"We've got enough problems with toxic masculinity in New Zealand already, we don't need this guy coming in.

He said more men needed to stand up for what is "too often seen as a women's issue".

"We started with the idea of a counter-protest and then we thought what better way to counter that meeting of small-minded horrible people than to have a very open-minded, very accepting party at the same spot."

Graphic designer Dan Clemerson-Phillips is a member of a group of both men and women planning to stage a protest in Wellington.

Clemerson-Phillips said it was unfair for women to have to continually fight this fight alone; men had a responsibility to help.

"It's men who commit the violence, right?

"And it's men who are doing the raping...So I think it's men who have to fix it."

New Zealand sexual abuse prevention groups have also condemned the group and its New Zealand meetings.

Sexual violence victims' advocate Louise Nicholas said the group was "scary" and urged police to get involved.

A police spokeswoman said authorities were aware of the meetings and planned to monitor the meetups and associated protests.

"We are confident the vast majority of New Zealanders will find the views expressed by this group distasteful and offensive.

"We expect attendance at any of these events, if they eventuate, will reflect that view," she said.

Valizadeh established the Return of Kings website in 2012 and has more than 18,000 Facebook likes and publishes about 15 articles a month.

It is the first time he has attempted to organise meetings between his supporters face-to-face.