Israel Folau’s most high-profile supporters have hit out at GoFundMe’s decision to remove his page.
Thousands of people who donated money to help Israel Folau fund his legal fight against Rugby Australia will get their money back, after GoFundMe shut down his online campaign.
The former Wallabies star launched his appeal for $3 million on Friday and had raised more than $750,000 within four days.
But the fundraising platform said on Monday it was pulling the campaign and issuing full refunds to the more than 7000 donors.
“After a routine period of evaluation, we have concluded that this campaign violates our terms of service,” GoFundMe Australia’s regional manager Nicola Britton said in a statement.
More than 95,000 people had signed an online petition calling on GoFundMe to take down Folau’s page, noting its purpose was against the website’s terms and conditions.
One Nation NSW leader Mark Latham, who defended Folau in his maiden speech to parliament earlier this year, suggested GoFundMe’s decision was an “excessive use of corporate power”.
“During the SSM campaign, Lefties scoffed when I said the absence of Religious Freedom Protections would lead to a reign of terror against Christians. In all aspects of the Folau matter, it’s easy to see what’s happening,” he tweeted.
During the SSM campaign, Lefties scoffed when I said the absence of Religious Freedom Protections would lead to a reign of terror against Christians.
In all aspects of the Folau matter, it’s easy to see what’s happening.— Real Mark Latham (@RealMarkLatham) June 24, 2019
Columnist Miranda Devine said: “The haters and Christophobes have forced Israel Folau’s church into hiding and GoFundMe appears to have closed his account, in the usual illiberal way of woke corporates. “GoFundMe buckles to the haters and closes Israel Folau’s account – refusing to give him the $700,000 already donated.”
GoFundMe buckles to the haters and closes Israel Folau’s account – refusing to give him the $700,000 already donated https://t.co/K17xya3x6R pic.twitter.com/MUh3uGXF8B
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) June 24, 2019
While Australian Christian Lobby managing director Martyn Isles said they were working against GoFundMe’s decision.
“Yes, GoFundMe has pulled the page. People are actively working on a solution,” Isles wrote on Facebook, adding that “things are completely insane at my end”.
Earlier today we shared the news that Israel Folau’s controversial appeal for financial assistance for his legal fight against Rugby Australia has been shut down by GoFundMe Australia. Read full story here.
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