No matter how much gaslighting, how many threats, how much bullying- I'll never stop speaking up about what I saw in Sweden during the pandemic. For me, it'll always be unacceptable that Sweden had an anti-masker, pro herd immunity as state epidemiologist. I'll never get over it.
Ppl are being harassed in different ways every single day in Sweden, because they're against the Covid strategy. The simple act of wearing a mask is like a protest, for f*ck's sake! I lost count how many times ppl have laughed, screamed, pointed & coughed at me for wearing a mask
Employers are going through their employees social media accounts, checking if they write negative things about Sweden, then calling them for meetings & lecturing them on the immorality of criticizing the country. This is not normal, not is it acceptable, in a free country.
For those out there trying to destroy people's careers & private lives as a revenge for their criticism of Sweden & the Covid19 strategy, take note: I'll move to the woods, like off bread & water & tell the world what I saw here, before I ever let anyone bully me into silence.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
About the now famous secret FB group that is critical of Sweden's Covid strategy: I am a member of MEWAS. In Sweden I am what many call "a threat to democracy" & "a traitor".
(Thread)
I have been a member of MEWAS since as long as I can remember. Just like me & many others, MEWAS has been critical of Sweden's Covid strategy since the very beginning of the pandemic, when we saw people flooding in from countries with widespread Covid, completely unchecked.
One of the very first interviews I did on international media was in my own country, Portugal. I was interviewed on TV by @SICNoticias, about what I was seeing here. I explained how at my work at the preschool, even if parents had Covid, they could still leave their kids to me.
As most ppl know, in Sweden we have a very controversial state epidemiologist. Tegnell took controversial decisions, which we always knew was due to a belief in herd immunity by infection. He denies it, but emails say otherwise ⬇️ "I believe more in herd immunity"(than lockdowns)
From 3 alternative ways of dealing with the Covid19 pandemic:
1️⃣Stop all movement & contacts for 4 weeks
2️⃣Find as many infected as possible, contact trace & put them in 2 weeks quarantine
3️⃣Let the spread happen, slowly or fast, to reach an eventual herd immunity
It sure sounds good when @SwedishPM says "people's freedom is a strong right in the Swedish Constitution". Many abroad praise Sweden for respecting freedoms during the pandemic. But let's be clear, a price was paid, & it was paid by the unpriviledged. I was one of them.
(Thread)
Seen from abroad & without much knowledge of what really happened here, I understand it's easy to get the wrong perception of how respectful Sweden is of people's rights & freedoms. But please don't be fooled.
A right that was respected was the right of parents to leave their kids in childcare. "It's for the children's best & for the families' best", we heard. The price was paid by childcare workers like me, who until Dec 1st (!) were forced to take care of kids who had Covid at home
Here's my story ⬇️ I worked in a preschool in 🇸🇪, masks were a taboo that no one dared to talk about. When I quit & said I didn't wanna put my health at risk anymore w/o 😷 my boss said "I understand, if you're scared of diseases this is no place for you"
This is the story of a preschool teacher in risk group & with a husband also in risk group, who is being threatened with being fired because she refuses to work without a mask ⬇️
She says that she has been contacting the media for a while about her situation, being at home because the employer claims she "refuses to work", when in fact all she wants is to wear a mask at work. The media has shown no interest about her story until now
@GoteborgsPosten has now published her story though, which she is happy about. But she says that she is tired & disappointed, so she doesn't have the energy to fight to get her story out there in international media. It's frustrating but I understand her
She went to work one day with a mask on, the employer told her to take it off, she refused, so she got sent home without pay & with a claim of "refusing to work".
This woman made the news because she stood up to her employer. But make no mistake, there's many ppl all over Sweden who are going through a similar situation, going to workplaces everyday where they're expected to work unprotected, but they don't dare to stand up against it.
As many of you know, I used to work in a preschool as well. Masks were the biggest taboo you can imagine. I don't know what would have happened if I had tried to work with a mask on, but I can guarantee you it would be no smooth ride.