Protest held at MUHC hospital
One of the Canada-wide antivaxx protests Monday was held at the MUHC hospital.
Nora Loreto, whom I follow on Twitter, has posed some good unanswered questions about antivaxx and Covid-denying protests. Journalists seem content to report the existence of the protests without asking: Who’s behind these groups? Who’s profiting? Who’s helping them? (And – as she adds – how is it that these people have so much free time during the day?) Journalists should never forget to investigate cui bono – who is benefiting?
I’m not suggesting I know, or that there’s necessarily a monolithic evil force behind the movement. But it takes some organization and some concentrated will to orchestrate protests across Canada all at the same time. Is everyone involved volunteering purely for twisted idealistic reasons, or are some of the organizers being paid, and if so, by whom?
Somebody’s got to get out there and go undercover.
Uatu 10:40 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
It wasn’t really effective because I was at work and had no idea that was going on just outside. I only found out when I watched the 6pm news
Kate 10:46 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
I’m glad to hear it, Uatu.
Ephraim 11:18 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
There is a whole underlying economy to this nonsense. People who are paid to talk about it. And of course, websites that gain advertising money from it.
The thing is, there is no mandatory vaccination… you always have a choice. But what they want is that it is free of consequences. Well… plenty of things aren’t free of consequences. Sex isn’t free of consequences, besides pregnancy, there is HIV, HPV and STIs. Driving isn’t free of consequences. Eating isn’t free of consequences. You don’t want to vaccinate, then learn to live with the consequences and if that means you need to resign from your job and find another one, that’s a consequence of your choice…. not my responsibility and I’m not going to free you of the consequences of your choice. Your freedom to choose to not vaccinate doesn’t limit my freedom to limit my exposure, when you are an infinitely higher risk. Respect my rights, if you want me to respect yours.
Now, can someone open up a gym only for the unvaccinated… wonder if that’s a business with a long term clientele.
Josh 11:32 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
Kate, these protests seem to have caught fire in BC a bit earlier than elsewhere in the country, and one of Global BC’s anchors and he had some useful information here a couple of weeks ago: https://twitter.com/jarmstrongbc/status/1433250552184381440
Dubious-sounding (but as far as I know relatively reputable) website Vancouver is Awesome has also been doing some good work on them, as here: https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/the-nurses-who-organized-vancouvers-anti-vax-protest-arent-who-you-think-they-are-4324683
Tee Owe 12:37 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
or a karaoke bar 🙂
Kate 12:58 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
Excellent links, Josh. Thank you!
MarcG 12:59 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
I recall seeing some idiots from Rebel News in the footage of the anti-lockdown protests in Montreal.
ant6n 13:11 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
Ephraim, you make a good argument, but your numbers are a bit off:
“Your freedom to choose to not vaccinate doesn’t limit my freedom to limit my exposure, when you are an infinitely higher risk.”
Unfortunately the vaccine doesn’t make the risk of becoming contagious go to 0, so the risk is only finitely lower.
Ephraim 13:38 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
The risk of becoming contagious isn’t zero, but it does approach ε.
But it doesn’t change the point, and it’s an important part of Canadian freedoms, that your freedom doesn’t have a right to impinge on my freedom. As said by Finch:
“Have not I a right to swing my arm?”
“Yes, but your right to swing your arm leaves off where my right not to have my nose struck begins.”
ant6n 16:25 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
Pfizer is around 60-80% effective against infection against delta (with effectiveness decreasing over time). Assuming that the infection itself is also shorter, that still leaves an amount of risk that is much much larger than some epsilon. Maybe being doubly vaccinated, the risk of spreading infection is reduced 3-times? In any case, one should be careful not to over-estimate the reduction in risk of spreading delta when vaccinated.
(It’s very effective at reducing the risk of going to the hospital if you get it, but that’s a different thing)
Ephraim 20:13 on 2021-09-14 Permalink
Data in Israel suggests that the third shot after month 5 quadruples the effectiveness.