I’m at the Anti-Vax Rally in Santa Monica. Follow here for updates.
Within 5 minutes of being here, I’ve been followed by masked individuals & approached by Tony Moon, who attacked journalist @TinaDesireeBerg 2 weeks ago. Tony got in my face and accused me of being “antifa press”. In a twist, it was Tomas Morales who told him I was fine to stay.
Correction: While there were plenty of anti-vax signs and people who held those beliefs, this was a smorgasbord of other things: anti-mandate, recall Newsom, anti-Socialism/Communism, Stop the Steal…
Jason Lefkowitz, a comedian turned activist, was carrying a list of LA council members’ home addresses, encouraging all at the event to intimidate them against voting for vaccine mandates. “It would nice if it were unanimous our way… Civil war is coming people… get your guns…”
Jason Lefkowitz went on to speak to the crowd about the LA council members vote on Monday and encouraged the crowd to show up at their homes to intimidate them. He held a sign with all of their alleged home addresses.
Jason Lefkowitz ended his speech with some jokes.
“Can I tell one joke since I am a comedian and I’m supposed to be funny?”
Dr. Christopher Rake, an anesthesiologist from UCLA medical center, tells the crowd, “They want to force a vaccination or medication or treatment into my body that I don’t want. So they’re telling me, ‘Take the jab or we take your job.’ And I’m here to say no. That’s not ok.”
After warning the crowd against listing their religion as an exemption to the vaccine (he says the gov’t will come after you & restrict your travel), Dr. Christopher Rake ends his speech with a Q-Anon chant.
Unclear on who this is or what organization she’s from (she did not want to provide me with any information)… stating she is starting a business as a consultant to build a collective of doctors & nurses to work outside the current medical system w/ “no government intervention”
This doctor (did not catch his name) spread a lot of misinformation during his speech. This was the most glaring. “We can even bring up the fact that Japan now has named Ivermectin the official drug for COVID patients.”
Reminder: these rallies were developed as a misinformation campaign by a small German cell and have only gotten worse, splintering into more regional issues. logically.ai/articles/anti-…
These guys (and others) in orange armbands were following me around while livestreaming today’s event.
Worth noting, my reporting from these events (livestream + thread) makes me part of “antifa press”. I do not manipulate or edit my content. My clips are not taken out of context (see livestream). I am simply labeled as such because it shows the truth and it shows the absurdity.
Those same two guys + Mike Ancheta watching me... Mike later points me out to two other people
Another moment where the 2 orange armband dudes are watching me, this time w/ Mike Ancheta (center glasses with American flag bandana). Mike is currently wanted by the LAPD for assault. Mike points me out to two females, one of whom calls me "antifa press" shortly after
This guy was following me around so I decided to ask him what the problem was. He said he just wanted to call me a "piece of shit." Earlier in the day, he asked if I was Walter Masterson 🤷♂️
Right wing streamer Chris Brow made a point to come up to me earlier in the day to call me a liar. So I saw him later and pressed him to find out what it is I supposedly lie about.
This was his response.
🤷♂️
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🧵I am starting my journey today with an American & Ukrainian aid worker to deliver supplies to those most vulnerable/affected along the eastern and southern front lines in #Ukraine. Please follow along for updates throughout the week.
Started in Kyiv this morning, got on a 4-hour train to meet people I didn’t know in a different city, jumped into their black van, drove 12 hours across the entire country and will be sleeping 18 miles from the Russian border.
Helluva day.
Stopped at the site of a former cafeteria in Izium. The city was under Russian occupation & was the site of horrific war crimes. It was liberated in September. So far, one mass grave has been found in the city containing at least 440 bodies, some w/ hands tied behind their backs.
For those that don't know, Moldova is situated in a strategic position for Russia. One long sliver of Moldova borders E Ukraine (called Transnistria), which is under military occupation of Russia. There are 1500 Russian troops there + the largest ammo depot in Eastern Europe.
Russia has started the groundwork of destabilizing the country. Last Tuesday, Putin revoked a 2012 foreign policy decree that in part recognized Moldova’s independence. Russia’s MoD then accused Ukraine of “preparing an armed provocation” against Transnistria, w/o any evidence.
I came across this powerful post by Michael @McFaul, a Professor of Political Science at Stanford University & former US Ambassador to Russia. I recommend subscribing to his substack, but I will include his post about Ukraine in the thread below... open.substack.com/pub/michaelmcf…
"I just got back from the Munich Security Conference last night. It’s one of my favorite conferences as it allows me to see many people from across the European continent and the world in just one long weekend..."
"...Until Putin invaded Ukraine, it was also one of the only places in the world that I could meet with Russians – diplomats, MPs, think-tankers, and businesspeople (aka “oligarchs”) – since I have been on Putin’s sanctions list since 2014..."
The center of Warsaw is preparing for President Biden’s motorcade.
Ukrainians have put up a banner stating, “Mr. Biden, send F-16 to Ukraine” across from where the President is staying. I could hear these chants in my hotel a distance away, so I can only imagine this can be heard within his hotel.