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Article Israel Folau’s Supporters Not Happy With GoFundMe Decision

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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.

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.”

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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  • I wonder if he would return the favour to other go fund me accounts if he was able to keep his account open and won his fight.. Hmm

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  • It goes against their policy, end of story

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  • For God’s sake(pun intended), Israel Folau owns something like 6 houses and 3 blocks of land, he’s a millionaire!
    He doesn’t need our money to help support his homophobic beliefs!
    Far better to make a donation to little Marko Magic(on A Current Affair tonight), who needs the funds for treatment of his neuroblastoma.
    If anyone feels the need to support a cause, support this one-
    https://au.gofundme.com/markosmile

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  • Such a disgrace! GoFundMe realise they are discriminating against Falou and Christianity! Bitter day for freedoms- we should all be very very concerned. Dictatorship starting right here

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  • It’s not about being a Christian. They took down his page because they don’t support discrimination. He was asking for money for his own legal fees after breaching his rugby contract! It’s absolutely ridiculous, he is the one that made the mistake so he should have to pay for it. Considering how much money he had made in his career, he should be able to pay for it himself.

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  • Good, he isn’t in the “fight of his life” how arrogant. He broke the terms of service, like he broke his contract.
    He can afford his own lawyers if he feels so strongly, sell a house or 2.

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  • So much for Freedom of speech in Australia. What a joke! As soon as they know it’s something to do with Christianity, it gets knocked down. Wake up Australia!

    • 100% well said, so relieved to see someone out there has a brain. It’s so scary how people just don’t realise the bigger issues at play here

      • Australia doesn’t actually have Freedom of Speech in its constitution. It’s an American thing. Google it. What we do have though is sanction against hate speech, which is exactly what Folau has done.

      • Exactly – if Israel can’t simply quote the Bible on his own social media account on his own time, to his own social media followers, in response to a question he was asked, then what’s next? And no, if you do your research carefully you will find that he was not in breach of the terms of his contract – legally an employee cannot censor your own social media accounts. RA tried to get him to sign an additional clause, but Folau did not sign it. In the future are any of us going to be allowed to have and state an opinion?

      • 100 percent agree !!!
        No one is aloud to talk about Christianity and no one can have there opinion. Soon we will be like America and there won’t be any freedom of speech !!!!!

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  • He must have the money. If he doesn’t then he has made some poor choices.

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  • Good! This story infuriated me. He can use his own money if he is so passionate about the cause

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  • I have to say, I’m not comfortable with a wealthy person asking for donations towards a personal industrial dispute.

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  • Those asking, GoFundMe said they don’t tolerate the promotion of discrimination or exclusion.

    • Which is exactly what they are now doing to him. Oh the irony and hypocrisy in it all

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  • I haven’t followed this story at all, what terms did he violate? People use this platform too much now I think

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  • I’m not a supporter of him but I would like to know which terms and conditions he has violated as i thought anyone could fundraise?

    • You are correct, of course they can, enough people are just kicking and screaming about it being “unfair” in their opinion. The irony is now he is actually in fact being discriminated against

    Reply
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