Rukshan Fernando

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Rukshan Fernando (born 1984 or 1985),[1] also known as Real Rukshan, is a Sri Lankan-Australian independent journalist,videographer and wedding photographer known for his favourable coverage of the anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown movement in Australia.[1][2][3][4]

Personal life and education

Fernando was born to a Labor-voting Sri Lankan migrant couple.[1] He went to school at Dandenong, Victoria[5] and studied law at Victoria University.[5][1] Fernando lives in Melbourne's south-east.[1]

Career

Fernando co-founded Ferndara, a wedding photography business based in Melbourne.[6][5] As of 2014, Fernando and his team have travelled to Sri Lanka to film weddings.[6]

In 2020, Fernando became known for creating memes mocking Premier Dan Andrews.[5][1] He provided live coverage of the anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne; he said that he did not endorse the views of the protestors.[1] He has been viewed as a hero by supporters of Melbourne's anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown protests.[1][3]

In 2022, Fernando travelled to New Zealand with far-right activist[7][2] Avi Yemini. Yemini was refused entry to New Zealand on character grounds.[2] However, Fernando was allowed into New Zealand, and filmed a glowing tribute to an anti-government rally led by COVID-19 conspiracy theorist Chantelle Baker.[2]

Views

Fernando supports former U.S. president Donald Trump[5][2] and his false claim that the 2020 U.S. election was stolen. He is a fan of American right-wing conspiracy theorists Mike Cernovich, Jack Posobiec and Andy Ngo.[5] Fernando is a climate change denier.[5] In 2019, he promoted a conspiracy theory that U.S. politician Ilhan Omar had married her brother.[5][8]

Fernando supported Dan Andrews when the first COVID-19 lockdown began in March 2020. Later that year, he said in an interview with Fox News personality Laura Ingraham that Victoria was becoming like "Communist China".[1] The Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun listed Fernando among the top 100 superspreaders of misinformation.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i O'Neil, Patrick (25 September 2021). "Who is the Real Rukshan?". The Age. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Elliott, Tim (17 February 2023). "'He's exploiting people who are genuinely scared': Avi Yemini and the art of outrage". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Parliament protest: Aussie far-right conspiracy commentators to attend, claims influencer". The New Zealand Herald. 14 May 2024. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  4. ^ Fleming, Andy (23 September 2021). "Constructing a narrative: the CFMEU protest and the far right". Overland Literary Journal. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Wilson, Cam (24 September 2021). "Real Rukshan: the live streamer who took Melbourne's protest to the world stage". Crikey. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b Ma, Laura (23 December 2014). "Filmmakers release amazing three-minute Sri Lanka tour". CNN. Archived from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  7. ^ McGowan, Michael (24 September 2021). "Workers' rights or the far right: who was behind Melbourne's pandemic protests?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 December 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  8. ^ Fernando, Rukshan [@therealrukshan] (5 November 2019). "Yeah but he didn't, this ungrateful crim Omar has married a sibling to commit immigration fraud" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 September 2021 – via Twitter.