Topline
Protestors marched from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on Sunday in objection to the Covid-19 vaccine mandates, drawing an array of sometimes controversial speakers and groups.
Demonstrators participate in a Defeat the Mandates march in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2022. … [+]
Key Facts
Organizers hoped as many as 20,000 people would march Sunday for the “Defeat the Mandates” rally, according to a permit from the National Park Service seen by the Washington Post.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the son of the slain senator and former attorney general, who has been widely criticized (even by his family) for pushing debunked scientific conspiracies, made baseless claims about manipulated PCR tests and death rate statistics during his speech at the rally.
Police remain fully activated in D.C. for the rally following Friday’s March for Life antiabortion protest, a police spokesperson told the Washington Post.
The rally gained notoriety after the controversial Dr. Robert Malone, an anti-mandate virologist (also widely criticized for spreading vaccine misinformation), who also spoke at the rally, appeared on the popular Joe Rogan Experience podcast and mentioned the protest—an appearance that prompted a coalition of doctors and scientists to petition Spotify to stop the spread of misinformation about the vaccine on the podcast.
Protestors at the rally praised Rogan and others for exposing alleged cover-ups of vaccine deaths and injuries, according to Time reporter Vera Bergengruen.
Lara Logan, the former 60 Minutes and CBS News correspondent who was dropped by her talent agency last week for comparing Dr. Anthony Fauci to Nazi physician Josef Mengele on Fox News (where she has spread vaccine misinformation), is also scheduled to speak.
Protestors were seen making similar comparisons, with freelance reporter Sergio Olmos reporting a significant amount of Holocaust imagery at the rally.
Protestors blared the song “I Would Do Anything For Love” by artist Meat Loaf, who died last week after reportedly becoming seriously ill with Covid-19 and who was reportedly against Covid-19 vaccine mandates.
Members of the Proud Boys, a white nationalist group that has made appearances at other anti-vaccine rallies, were among the protestors, according to Olmos.
Counterprotestors were seen by Washington Post reporter Emily Davies holding signs that read “HERE TO KNOCK A NAZI OUT,” and chanting “Let’s go Darwin,” a phrase used to counter the anti-Joe Biden cry “Let’s go Brandon.”
Crucial Quotes
“Regarding the genetic Covid vaccines, the science is settled,” Malone argued, falsely, at the rally. “They’re not working. They are not completely safe.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated Thursday that protection against hospitalization and death from Covid-19 remained high for those fully vaccinated and boosted despite the emergence of the more spreadable omicron variant. Countless health experts have confirmed the vaccines to be safe, that the risk of serious side effects is minimal, and that they are a powerful defense against hospitalization or death from the coronavirus.
Key Background
Last week, D.C. implemented a city-wide Covid-19 vaccine requirement for anyone 12 and older who wishes to enter any indoor facility. Nearly a quarter of eligible Americans remain unvaccinated against Covid-19.
Surprising Fact
The Centers for Countering Digital Hate in May found that 65% of anti-vaccine content on Facebook and Twitter are attributable to just twelve individuals, deemed the “Disinformation Dozen,” with Kennedy being one of the twelve. Facebook denied this statistic, though it said it removed over three dozen pages linked to the 12 individuals. Instagram, owned by Facebook/Meta, banned Kennedy earlier in 2021 for “repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines,” a Facebook spokesperson told Forbes.
Demonstrators participate in a Defeat the Mandates march ate the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in … [+]
Demonstrators participate in a Defeat the Mandates march in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2022. … [+]
Demonstrators participate in a Defeat the Mandates march in Washington, DC, on January 23, 2022. … [+]
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/01/23/anti-vaccine-mandate-protest-rfk-jr-proud-boys-and-holocaust-imagery/