A white man confronted Khalistan supporters taking part in a pro-Khalistan referendum in an Auckland, New Zealand, video that went viral on social media. Wearing a New Zealand basketball vest, the man in the video loudly denounced the existence of Khalistani separatist flags and instructed the demonstrators that only the New Zealand flag should be flown within the nation.
The Khalistan referendum
A group of pro-Khalistan activists assembled in Auckland on November 17, 2024, as part of a referendum advocating for an independent Khalistan—a distinct Sikh-majority state in India’s Punjab region. Tensions increased when the man, who was visibly upset, yelled at the Khalistan supporters, even though the event was permitted to continue with police present.
In the video, he can be heard angrily demanding, “What makes you think you can come to this country?” He continued, “Why would you think you could come over to this country, where soldiers left this country and are buried on foreign soil? New Zealand and Australia, the ANZACs, are buried on foreign soil.”
“HOW DARE YOU!” screamed a New Zealand man protesting against the crowd gathered at the Khalistan “referendum” in Auckland. He appeared offended by the overwhelming presence of Khalistan flags compared to New Zealand’s.
“Go back to your own country! Don’t bring your foreign… pic.twitter.com/TAqEtQiZCx
— Mocha Bezirgan 🇨🇦 (@BezirganMocha) November 17, 2024
The man expressed his anger at the yellow Khalistan flag, saying, “And you think you can come over here and fly that disgusting yellow flag in another country? How dare you? Who do you think you are?” He insisted, “Go back and do this in your own country. That flag is not welcome in this country. We only flag the red, white, and blue, the New Zealand flag.”
While the incident garnered attention online, the police were seen in the video, although it remains unclear if any legal action was taken against the man for his outburst. The Khalistan referendum has been a contentious issue among certain communities, now in New Zealand, after Canada, with some viewing it as a legitimate expression of Sikh self-determination, while others, like the man in the video, see it as an inappropriate foreign agenda in New Zealand.
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