An Australian teenager who became a viral sensation after cracking an egg on the head of a far-right senator has donated around £55,000 to survivors of the New Zealand mosque attacks.
Will Connolly, 17, became known as Egg Boy after being filmed splattering Fraser Anning during a press conference in March.
The 69-year-old politician had sparked widespread anger a day earlier when he said Muslim migration was to blame for the Christchurch shootings, in which a white supremacist killed 51 people at two city mosques.
Footage of the egging showed the senator then retaliating by punching his smiling teenage antagonist.
Now Will, a Melbourne-based student, has revealed he has donated some A$100,000 (£55,000) raised in the aftermath of the incident.
The money comes from two GoFundMe pages set up by other people to cover his potential legal fees and to “buy more eggs” with.
Because police have said they will not press charges – the teenager received an official caution instead – Will has chosen to pass the money to the Christchurch Foundation group and Victims Support charity.
Revealing the decision in an Instagram post on Tuesday, he wrote: “Finally!!! After a huge amount of red tape, $99,922.36 has today been transferred...
“I decided to donate all monies to help provide some relief to the victims of the massacre. It wasn’t mine to keep.
“To the victims of the tragedy, I wholeheartedly hope that this can bring some relief to you.”
A spokesperson for Victim Support confirmed receipt of the payment, saying: “Every cent pledged has and will continue to be distributed to the victims.”
For his part, Mr Anning refused to withdraw his comments on Muslim migration even after a petition signed by 1.4 million people asked him to do so.
He failed to win a new term in the senate at Australia’s general election on 18 May.
