Over a million people have signed a calling for the removal of Australian politician Fraser Anning from parliament after he blamed immigration for the deadly terrorist attack at two New Zealand mosques.
Anning faced overwhelming criticism over his tweets on Friday including one that said, "Does anyone still dispute the link between Muslim immigration and violence?"
"The real cause of the bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place," he said a day after the attacks in a written statement., a day after the attacks in Christchurch which left 50 people dead.
While Anning wrote he was 鈥渦tterly opposed鈥� to the violence, many took issue with him saying the attacks highlight 鈥渢he growing fear within our community, both in Australia and New Zealand, of the increasing Muslim presence.鈥�
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Anning鈥檚 comments 鈥渁ppalling,鈥� but two Australians wanted to do more.
Sydney doctor Kate Ahmad and Melbourne author Harris Sultan began separate petitions on Change.org -- nearly an hour apart -- calling for the removal of Anning from Parliament.
But since then, Ahmed and Sultan have merged their petitions. Their has become the 鈥渓argest in Australian online petition history,鈥� Change.org鈥檚 executive director Sally Rugg told Australian newspaper .
She also told the newspaper that the petition is the site's fastest-growing one on their platform. Almost 250,000 people signed up in the first 18 hours, Rugg said.
The petition鈥檚 description states that Anning鈥檚 comments have 鈥渘o place in the government of our democratic and multicultural country. We request that he be expelled from his position as senator, and investigated by law enforcement agencies for supporting right-wing terrorism.鈥�
But Annig鈥檚 critics are also making headlines for the ways they鈥檙e channeling their criticism.
On Saturday, a teenager smacked Anning in the back of the head with a raw egg. Later that night, someone recorded themselves confronting Anning at Melbourne Airport asking him, 鈥淒on鈥檛 you have any remorse?鈥� Anning can be heard telling the man to 鈥渟tand back.鈥�
Then, to cap off the day, the Australian government and the opposition party agreed to pass a censure motion against Anning over his stance on the Christchurch shootings. Parliament will vote on that motion in April.
Support from the major parties' ensures the censure motion, which is mainly a symbolic gesture, will be passed by both legislative chambers.
With files from The Associated Press
