Nobody should be surprised by demonstrations outside B.C. hospitals by opponents of vaccine passports

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      There's been a lot of shock and horror expressed in the media in the wake of demonstrations by critics of vaccine passports outside B.C. hospitals on September 1.

      B.C.'s premier, Vancouver's mayor, and others have condemned what took place.

      And this morning (September 2), CBC News has reported that a Kelowna man who staged a lone counterprotest was coughed on, spat upon, and pushed by those who were in a rage over a looming vaccine passport.

      In Vancouver, the crowd chanted "lock her up" when one of the speakers mentioned B.C.'s provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.

      The most compelling image, however, may have come in a tweet by Vancouver resident Claire Allen.

      It showed an ambulance moving very slowly along West 12th Avenue through the demonstration.

      But anyone who's been paying attention to the antivaccine movement shouldn't be surprised by any of this.

      Last November, the Georgia Straight reported that one of these antivaccine types, Alicia Johnson, had written a post on Facebook calling on people to videotape what was occurring in hospitals.

      "ITS TIME PATRIOTS!! FILM YOUR HOSPITAL!! TIME TO SHOW THE ASLEEP THE TRUTH - LIVE!! UPLOAD & SEND ME ALL FOOTAGE FOR SUPREME COURT!! SHARE THIS POST!!" Johnson declared in capital letters.

      In the spring of 2020, the antivaxxers conducted "hospital tours" as part of the "#FilmYourHospital" movement in Metro Vancouver. These videos of trips to 11 hospitals and two testing sites are still on the Internet on a page called "Coronagate".

      For the most part, Canadian media outlets have not paid much attention to the extremists, including Holocaust deniers, who've been organizing antivaccine protests in B.C.

      Some of these activists are eager to hold Nuremberg-like show trials for public-health officials and politicians who support vaccine passports.

      Why aren't the big networks with lots of resources—and yes, I'm looking at you, CBC, CTV, and Global—not doing a hell of a lot more to educate the public about this?

      The next time these networks make some grand proclamation about their appreciation for health workers, someone should ask them if this concern will ever extend to exposing those who are making these health workers' lives far more difficult and dangerous.

      I've heard the argument that giving them publicity only makes them stronger. This doesn't stand up to serious scrutiny—they're already getting stronger, as demonstrated by what happened outside Vancouver General Hospital and other health facilities across the province on September 1.

      Populist demogogues, including anti-Semites, are feeding off the anger being generated by COVID-19. Conspiracy theories are spreading like a B.C. summer wildfire across the Internet. 

      The demogogues with their own Facebook channels will believe what they believe, regardless of what the federal government is putting on its website about the risks and rewards of being vaccinated. They're imbued with their own self-importance in fighting what they believe is tyranny. The most arrogant among them maintain it's a myth that COVID-19 is a dangerous disease.

      The most-read story on Straight.com this morning is about one militant posting a message saying "I believe in murder!" for those who believe they can mask, vaccinate, or molest innocent children. Wake up, people in the media. This is getting serious.

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