Thread by @RMCarpiano

During the #COVID19 pandemic, the anti-vaccine movement has allied more with fringe groups from different spheres. Example: "Freedom Rally" in DC on 1/6 featured anti-vaccine activism figure Del Bigtree along w/ other "medical freedom" speakers (plus others). Details in this🧵1/n

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1. Medical Freedom/antivax activism sphere:

a. Jenkins (Urban Global Health Alliance)

b. VA Freedom Keepers: Per website "A collective voice of Virginians who oppose forced medical mandates & support informed consent."

c. Freedom Angels (CA antivax to anti-govt activists)

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2. (Related to the above and other categories in this thread) Chemotherapy and cancer "truthers," including vid content producers and range of related products (Ty and Charlene Bollinger)
elemental.medium.com/chemotherapy-t…

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3. Conspiracy theory film production

Besides the Bollingers, you have:

a. Willis ("Plandemic" pseudosci film Director)

b. Smith (Director/Producer of "Out of Shadows" claiming to show how media manipulates

[AND... a notable c. (cont'd)]

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c. Martin, CEO of Andrew Wakefield's film co. A "regular contributor to The War Room w/Owen Shroyer & Roger Stone" & "selected as one of 13 on the 2019 Roger Stone Annual International Best Dressed List" (direct quote from her speaker bio:
regenerativeacademy.com/lori-martin-gr…)

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(cont'd) Martin was a speaker at 2019 Academy for Regenerative Practices conference. If you go to their site to find out who they are, the "About" drop-down menu has "Medical Freedom Under Attack" as 1st item--it opens to a Roger Stone video. regenerativeacademy.com/healthfreedom/

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4. Christian Faith Leaders: Many during COVID have aligned w/ anti-vaxxers at CA protest rallies & cite Christian God, Bible, & Govt. (often Christian Nationalist). Locke (per my googling) seems to be a #COVID19 denialist known for other controversies in public/private life.

8/ I saved the best for last... sort of... read on... (apologies for unintentionally burying the lede).

5. Entrepreneurs: Clark--via Google, I found out he's an entrepreneur who owns an online education company designed for entrepreneurs.

****HOWEVER...

9/ ...in trying to see how Clark ties to this network, I found the website for the (larger) event they were all part of. Link shows that the flyer I described in tweet #1 was the tip of the iceberg of anti-vax activists' COVID19-era broader network I discussed at the outset...

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Some more familiar names here, including 3 Trump pardonees (Stone, Papadopoulos, and Stanton-King). But wait--there's more to take notice of than just that...
magafreedomrallydc.com/maga/

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Several things to notice, actually...

1. Notice the Sponsors:

First, United Medical Freedom Super PAC. Registered to Ty Bollinger (see above). For 2019-20 cycle, some not-so-super $ figures for a Super PAC (~$60K raised): opensecrets.org/political-acti…

magafreedomrallydc.com/maga/

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Second, Virginia Freedom Keepers (antivax grp discussed above). Their site (w/ buttons for donating): "Any funds raised through this site support Virginia Freedom Keepers C4 legislative action responses. Contributions are not tax-deductible." virginiafreedomkeepers.org/about.html

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2. Notice Event's "Mission":

"Our Mission: To save our families & future generations from tyranny, restore & defend our medical & health freedoms, & support candidates, leaders, organizations, & movements who believe in freedom, truth & liberty."

Lots there... (cont'd)

14/ (cont'd) Aside from the missing Oxford comma after "truth," notice how it merges different values & spheres of life: health & medical choices w/ broader, more abstract (libertarian-ish) domains of life, liberty, & pursuit of happiness. Also...
magafreedomrallydc.com/maga/

15/ Asserts medical/health freedoms have been taken away. That's not referring to health coverage/pro-choice policies. Nearly all about COVID public health measures & vaccine policies (existing child vaccine laws & fearmongering over COVID-19 vaccine mandates)--other issues too.

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3. Notice the OTHER speakers not in the original flyer. What a collective.

a. Dundas: attorney, antivax-turned-anti-public health/lockdown activist, ally of antivax movement leader RFK Jr., doxxed OC Public Health Officer's home address over mask orders; among other things

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b. Stanton-King: Trump pardonee who ran very unsuccessfully against Nikema Williams (who ran for the late John Lewis). ballotpedia.org/Angela_Stanton… Hence, more of the MAGA politics sphere covered.

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c. Joey Gilbert: per Wikipedia "a retired professional boxer, currently a criminal defense & personal injury lawyer, sports agent, and motivational speaker." Twitter site shows his zeal for MAGA. Not clear why he's a speaker though.

BUT...

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d. 2 vaccine disinfo pushers:
1st Dr. Carrie Madej: bbc.com/news/53525002
"Madej's video makes a false claim that the (COVID) vaccines will change recipients' DNA...make us into genetically modified organisms...(&) 'hook us all up to an artificial intelligence interface.'"

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Second, Dr. David Martin: patent researcher, self-labeled "storyteller," entrepreneur, who, per RFK Jr.'s CHD site, is "star" of "Plandemic" pseudosci film; coronavirus conspiracy promoter, esp about patent claims debunked here:
factcheck.org/2020/08/new-pl…

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f. Dr. Cordie Williams: CA Chiropractor, Founder of 1776 Forever Free, organization created in response to COVID public health measures & feelings of govt over-reach: 1776foreverfree.com
Lots of merch on site, constitution classes by this person: douglasvgibbs.com/bio.php

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g. Roger Stone: 'nuff said. Do I really need to offer details?

***BUT, I saved a BIG one for last... "Wait--not Roger Stone?" you might ask? Yep, not him or his Nixon tattoo. This next one is a biggie given the whole point of this thread: anti-vax activism's networks.

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h. Stewart Rhodes, Oath Keepers Militia Group Founder & President--leading figure in the anti-govt movement. @splcenter has a nice overview of him, his activities, & org.
splcenter.org/fighting-hate/…
Details of what he/his org pledged & did in DC on Weds: pbs.org/wgbh/frontline…

24/ In sum, this DC event shows that, with the pandemic, the anti-vaccine movement has further aligned itself with fringe (conservative) conspiracy theory, pseudosci, Christian Nationalist, & anti-govt groups--& expanded its agenda.
ktla.com/news/californi…
sacbee.com/news/politics-…

25/25 As I regularly tweet, people in Southern CA note same here (Riverside, OC, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura): antivax networks span CA & many spheres/interests as DC event +state/county elected officials. All of it public on YT/FB/Twitter/IG, news of protests/rallies. END

26/25
I realized I never discussed America's Frontline Nurses listed at top of the initial flyer--another group pushing COVID conspiracy theories & disinfo regarding hospitals & patient care. You see via their press release for this event on their website: globalfrontlinenurses.com/pr

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