Almost 2,000 people have signed a petition demanding the New Zealand Herald sack pro-transgender rights activist Shaneel Lal as a columnist for their role in promoting a violent protest that led to the cancellation of a women's rights rally.

This is an actual article published by the @nzherald after a mob of men attacked a woman.

Vile gaslighters. pic.twitter.com/cPF8f29B1O

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) March 25, 2023

Shaneel Lal, a trans rights activist and columnist for the New Zealand Herald, has drawn fierce criticism after using their platform to call for New Zealanders to join a violent protest on the weekend which led to the cancellation of the Let Women Speak rally in Auckland's Albert Park.

Lock him and those who incited him from the @nzherald up. https://t.co/tfTRvANLZ3

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) March 26, 2023

Lal was filmed smiling with the mob and celebrated the cancellation of the event by tweeting "Good riddance Nazi TERF."

The protest was led by pro-transgender rights activists who physically assaulted women's rights advocate Kellie-Jay Keen and her supporters.

A man dressed up as a woman caught on camera assaulting an elderly man.@nzherald incited this violence. https://t.co/jZs2hcNQyi

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) March 26, 2023

Shocking videos from the day showed Keen and her supporters violently assaulted leading to calls on social media for international travellers to boycot New Zealand.

The Change.org petition demanded Lal be sacked from their position as a columnist for the New Zealand Herald and for the newspaper to apologise to women's rights campaigners.

The petition accuses the newspaper of posting "libelous content about women speaking about their sex-based rights" and employing a "thug who is known to have organised a mob against women's rights campaigners."

The newspaper has not yet responded to the petition.