Auckland lawyer convicted over anti-Israel vandalism campaign

An Auckland barrister has been convicted for orchestrating a months-long campaign of vandalism against the offices of senior New Zealand politicians in protest against Israel’s war with Hamas.

Hannah Lucy Swedlund, 28, was sentenced in the Auckland District Court after pleading guilty to multiple charges of wilful damage. Swedlund, alongside two flatmates, targeted the US Consulate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the electorate offices of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Judith Collins, Paul Goldsmith, Simon Watts, Dan Bidois, and Act Party leader David Seymour.

The group, calling itself Tāmaki for Palestine, splashed red paint to symbolise “blood on officials’ hands” and stencilled slogans such as “Ceasefire now” and “Save Gaza Free Palestine”. They also posted images of the attacks online, claiming political leaders were complicit in alleged “atrocities” in Gaza.

Swedlund, a practising lawyer, had sought a discharge without conviction on the grounds that her career would be harmed. Judge Belinda Sellars declined, noting that the crimes were not spontaneous but part of a carefully planned campaign involving disguises, encrypted communications, and attempts to conceal evidence. The vandalism cost more than $5000 to clean up.

While acknowledging Swedlund’s academic achievements and social conscience, the judge stressed that as an officer of the court, she should have known better. Letters of support were provided by her employer and by Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March.

Her two co-defendants, Kieran McLean and Kieran Lynch, are due to be sentenced later this year.

The New Zealand Jewish Council has previously warned that extremist activism surrounding the Gaza war has created a climate of fear and intimidation for the local Jewish community, including vandalism of property and inflammatory rhetoric from protest groups.

This case highlights a growing concern: the willingness of some activists, including professionals in positions of public trust, to cross the line from free expression into criminal acts in the name of anti-Israel protest.