Australian ‘Egg Boy’ donates $70,000 to Christchurch victims

The Australian teenager who cracked an egg on the head of a politician for his offensive remarks about the New Zealand mosque massacre has donated almost $70,000 to people affected by the killings.

Will Connolly, 17, came to prominence when he “egged” far-right Senator Fraser Anning at a news conference after the latter had said letting “Muslim fanatics” migrate to New Zealand was the cause of the mosque shootings in March.

Police cautioned Connolly over the incident but he quickly became a cause celebre, drawing support from all corners of the globe, including the backing of basketball star Ben Simmons. 

As police investigated the incident, supporters of Connolly raised 99,922 Australian dollars ($69,171) through two crowdfunding accounts to pay for his envisaged legal fees.
But a law firm volunteered to handle the case for free in which Connolly escaped charge.

The Melbourne youth announced on Instagram on Wednesday he had donated the money to two support groups for people affected by the Christchurch shootings – the Christchurch Foundation and Victim Support.

“Finally!!! After a huge amount of red tape, $99,922.36 has today been transferred to the Christchurch Foundation and Victims Support,” Connolly posted.

“I decided to donate all monies to help provide some relief to the victims of the massacre … it wasn’t mine to keep,” he wrote on his Instagram account.

“To the victims of the tragedy, I wholeheartedly hope that this can bring some relief to you,” he said. “Keep spreading the love.”

On March 15 this year, a lone gunman armed with semiautomatic weapons targeted Muslims attending Friday prayers, killing 51 worshippers and wounding dozens. The attack was broadcast live on Facebook.

Australian youth Brenton Tarrant has been charged with the 51 murders and engaging in a “terrorist act”. He has not been required to submit a plea and is due to appear in court again on June 14.

Meanwhile, Anning, who had sat in Australia’s Senate as an independent legislator after quitting the One Nation party early last year, is no longer in parliament after he was voted out in the country’s May 18 general election.