Thread by @ARCCollective

During the 12 years I ran ARC, I always made an effort not to provide an uncritical platform for the people who I wrote about (usually using humour and mockery) as these people also craved attention and validation they believed that attention brought to them. 1/25

They hated being laughed at and shamed.

But there were always those who were shameless and sought any sort of attention. Those cases proved to be especially challenging. 2/25

One of those cases was, and continues to be, Kevin Johnston. An absolutely shameless self-promoter and liar, he seems to thrive on negative publicity. 3/25

cbc.ca/news/canada/to…

Nothing has really stopped him from continuing to engage in campaigns of harassment, intimidation, and defamation which wins him more fans among the extremists and encourages him to escalate his antics. 4/25

antihate.ca/citizens_arres…

The escalation was on full display in a live stream from a couple of nights back.

Johnston has styled himself as the "mayor elect" of Calgary and has made a number of claims about what he will do WHEN he becomes mayor. 5/25

It also seems clear that he doesn't seem to understand the limits a municipal mayor actually has as he appears to believe that being mayor grants him rather extraordinary powers. 6/25

To be clear, Johnston will not be elected mayor of Calgary. It is unclear whether or not he has actually deluded himself into believing he has a chance or if it is simply part of his self-promoting grift.

Still, there are real damaging consequences to his rhetoric. 7/25

That same night Johnston began a rant about the Alberta Health Services which was especially unhinged. 8/25

Johnston has targeted AHS because he claims one of his campaign offices was shut down. In a rant in which he also accuses @nenshi of unspecified financial crimes, Johnston suggests he will be attacking employees of the AHS and will force the agency out of the city. 9/25

Now it turns out that the campaign office is likely part of a harebrained scheme, unsupported by any actually legal backing, to subvert health regulations as a result of the pandemic. 10/25

He further claims he will have AHS employees who enforce bylaws arrested, publish their personal details, and serve them $5 million lawsuits on social media.

It is all laughable bravado, but given his history of harassment, the harm he could cause is real. 11/25

Regardless of whether we like it or not Johnston has a small following that could, if they following his rhetoric to a logical conclusion, harm someone.

Because of this accusing members of the AHS of literally murdering people is dangerous. 12/25

Keep in mind this article when looking at the next two videos. 13/25

cbc.ca/news/canada/ed…

14/25

Finally, Johnston claims he will target the families, including children (though he suggests only those 18 and older) of AHS workers. 15/25

As a person who continues to defame an individual who was awarded a $2.5 million judgement and who has recently committed an alleged assault on camera, it is important to take the threat Johnston poses seriously even if his mayoral campaign isn't. 16/25

Another person who has been craving attention is Artur Pawlowski. Pawlowski also made an unhinged video of himself screaming at bylaw and members of the CPS. 17/25

18/25

Most would look at the video of Pawlowski's histrionics and view it for what it was, however, as Pawlowski seems to be getting away with flagrant violations of health protocols and that the CPS and bylaw officers did leave after being screamed at has increased his profile. 19/25

In fact Pawlowski is SO "humbled" that he feels the need to post every mention of himself found in the media including the extremists conspiracy platforms that often deny there is a pandemic or that it is part of some other plot. 20/25

Does he know what the word humble actually means?

I mean, this seems rather prideful which seems to be the antithesis of what a Christian pastor should be professing, right? 21/25

And the "humbled" Pawlowski has not started selling t-shirts to commemorate the event that has made him temporarily famous in the far-right echo chamber. 22/25

Like Johnston, it might be tempting to say we should ignore Pawlowski. Both crave media attention so it makes sense to starve them of the oxygen and that platforming them does a disservice. 23/25

While I am sympathetic to this line of thinking, I believe that in these cases to ignore them results in people like them feeing enabled and escalating regardless of the attention being paid to them. 24/25

In the end, it is important to be informed of the dangers people like Johnston and Pawlowski represent and we can't simply stick our head in the sand because to ignore it results in it this cancer metastasizing in darkness. 25/25

Meant to post this one here.