No Jab No Pay No Way protests – anti-vaccine to their very core

On June 21 2015 the capital cities of Australia will be treated to a series of protests by groups unhappy with the Federal government’s new childcare immunisation requirements. There are protests in Adelaide, Launceston, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. The first three I won’t address as they’re either a  non-event, or the pages are being overrun by conspiracy theorists (Melbourne). I’ll quickly address the Perth event, which is only billed as a speakers’ event; but, I’ll focus on Sydney and Brisbane, the organisers of which are the driving forces of these larger marches.

The catch-cries of the protests are the usual anti-vaccine mating calls of “pro-choice, health freedom, freedom of choice, human rights, anti-discrimination, informed choice…”. You get the idea. It is timely that, at this very moment, there are many posts circulating the internet pertaining to this very subject: the ruse of anti-vaccinationism made over as health freedom and informed choice.

Time magazine has tracked anti-vaccine Tweets which are attempting to sway the US immunisation legislative process using this particular, deceitful attempt at cloaking. The Unwholesome has recently blogged the same, using the wonderfully apt metaphor of polishing a turd. And this is precisely what they are doing. Two years ago  I wrote about Meryl Dorey’s persistent use of a form of the bait-and-switch: she would paint herself and her vile anti-vaccine organisation as health freedom fighters who are battling for the freedom of informed choice for her acolytes.

Three things always stick out immediately whenever I sit down to look at any particular “pro-choice” group or page:

1. there are no posts in support of immunisation.

2. there is an overabundance of posts inferring that vaccines are unsafe, ineffective, poisonous, or malignant-agenda-driven.

3. there is no freedom of informed choice on offer, and any dissenting opinion is banned.

With all of the preceding in mind, this is the banner logo used by the protest pages in various forms:

Taken from the Brisbane page, we have all seen this deceitful graphic used by anti-vaccinationists. They know that being anti-vaccine is viewed as selfish and unpalatable by the rest of the community. That’s why they need to lie about their own beliefs; at least in public:

Interestingly the Perth protest is being organised by the pride of the University of Wollongong, anti-vaccine PhD student Judy Wilyman, who also likes to vilify grieving families:

The Perth rally will also feature registered nurse and midwife, home-birth advocate Serafine Nichols (Hinemoa Fine), who is very active in the group. Again, a registered nurse is going to speak at an anti-vaccine event:

The first Sydney organiser is a conspiracy theorist by the name of Damien Poulsen. Poulsen uses the “freedom of choice” gambit to address the crowd:

However, in more cosy surroundings Poulsen is more open to speaking his mind. From a different, closed Facebook group:

Just in case you were undecided on Poulsen’s stance on vaccines, here he is on the Sydney protest page agreeing with the violent Frank Vazquez, of Adelaide; the same Vazquez who made bomb and arson threats against venues who were considering canceling the recent Tenpenny tour bookings; the same Vazquez who sends out death threats to those with whom he disagrees. This is the organiser of the Sydney protest in fierce agreement with Frank Vazquez, vehemently declaring he is against “pro-choice” – that is, against anyone accessing vaccines – in public. What a colossal foot-bullet:

Even more incredibly, on May 24 2015, Poulsen appeared on the Sally Elkordy podcast so as to promote the protests. I would highly recommend putting aside one hour to have a listen to this work of genius. Maybe grab a beer, or a wine. Invite some friends over. Hand around some Cubans. Diluted Thinking notes:

In this interview Poulsen went on to explain that this policy is all part of a bigger, worldwide agenda run by pharmaceutical companies, Murdoch media, the Bilderberg Group, the Rockefellers, and that this agenda has no borders and is a worldwide exercise to diminish our population. And yes, fluoride and chemtrails also got a mention.

For me I just can’t get past the enduring image of a symphony led by two cartoon weasels hitting each other on the head with squeaky hammers; the third movement rising to a majestic crescendo of gibbering, salivating, conspiratorial splendour.

I want to make a quick, yet, related diversion. It should be noted that Poulsen was able to conduct the interview with Elkordy due to the efforts of Karen Johnston. Johnston has been an anti-vaccine campaigner in Australia for decades, more widely now known as the main Facebook admin for the worst page on Facebook, VINE. Here Johnston posts the Poulsen/Elkordy interview to the Sydney protest group, and the post  is liked by Poulsen:

Soon after that Karen Johnston was shut out of the protests by the organisers of the Sydney and Brisbane events, who are no-names – let’s be honest; I had never heard of them – Johnston’s name being smeared on many pages, including the protest pages. However, Johnston did have her defenders:

The other Sydney organiser Belgin Sila Colak also shut out Johnston, to the same protests:

The Brisbane organiser Cos Stanway (real name Corinne Stanaway, of Sunshine Coast Queensland) sent out the same message, excluding Karen Johnston from a movement with which she has been over-actively involved for two decades:

Now, I do not like what Karen Johnston does. I detest that her activities could have an effect on public health. But, I will begrudgingly acknowledge that she has been at this for many years. And I will also acknowledge that she is at least open and honest and upfront about her barking mad, conspiratorial anti-vaccinationism. That’s more than can be said for the individuals who are running the protests. I always ponder to myself: “who will do the most damage to children? The overt public health menace, or the covert liars playing a a ruse of legitimacy?”

But, back to Belgin Sila Colak, the other Sydney protest organiser. Colak created this image claiming that “science has proven that vaccines are ineffective”. Pretty sure we’ll need a citation for that one:

This one is just awesome. I mean, two lies and Godwin, and she didn’t even blink. Well, I didn’t see her if she did:

The community needs to know what these people are fighting for. These people are protesting for the right to infect their children with vaccine preventable diseases. In Spain, a child recently contracted Diphtheria. The child is on life support. In Canada, a child was infected with Tetanus. I refuse to respect anti-vaccination activists, who pose as pro-choice campaigners, who demand the right to have their child die for the parents’ cause:

Vaccine fascism. Bingo. She’s pro-choice, remember?

I love this one. The protest organisers have made an online letter available for all participants. The idea is to fill out the letter, send it to your local member of parliament, making sure you are outside their office door when they open their emails in the morning, whereby you shall be treated to howls of laughter and banging on desks as the staff take turns yelling out, in upper-class British accents, “IT IS MY WILL”:

Cos Stanway is the organiser of the Brisbane protest. Like the others she also uses the terminology of the pro-choice ruse:

Did you hear that? The protests are not about whether one should vaccinate their children or not. And just to show you that this is the case have this syringe-snake:

If the syringe-snake didn’t convince you that this is all about “choice”, then, maybe Gandhi will, with his talk of “barbarous” vaccines which are a “fatal…delusion”:

If the pacifist side of politics won’t convince you, then, how about the extreme right?

Mengele not loud enough? You asked for it:

I listened to this one the other day. Sally Elkordy interviewed deranged ex-Queensland police officer Chris Savage, who hands out medical advice in between his Facebook tirades about THOSE JEWS. I never knew anyone – other than Alex Jones – could vocalise supercapslock, but, Savage proved me wrong towards the end of his interview, screaming into the mike like a champ. That anyone would share this thing in public is a testament to their absence of a shame gland:

Here is anti-vaccine activist Tetyana Obukhanych claiming that vaccines are neither safe nor effective. This is more “pro-choice”:

This is one of my favourites, created by the Queensland network of rabid anti-vaccinationists which includes Stephanie Messenger and Susan Lindberg (who is a commenter declaring that she will be vary active on the day, on the Brisbane protest page); this is Pincushion Baby:

I’ve saved the best until last. Every time I see this I think of Armageddon, the family-friendly radio broadcast about the care of small, furry mammals. This image should be treated with all the same gravity as the Armageddon skit:

That any of these people dare to claim that they are campaigning in the name of informed choice is an insult to all of our dictionaries. It is clear that no protest pages contain any information which is positive about or supportive of immunisation; in fact all we find is the sort of anti-vaccine, conspiracy excreta included all the way up the page. These people are conspiracy theorists and, in the case of Stanway at least, well-rehearsed multi-conspiracy protesters. I could find no mention of immunisation on Stanway’s wall before the time that the federal government childcare announcements were made: suddenly she and her anti-vaccine friends are plotting against – and removing – Karen Johnston, a woman who has been involved in the movement for decades. We know Stanway is a habitual protester of dubious causes, as her friend tells us so; whilst at the same time attacking Karen Johnston on the Brisbane protest page:

To finish off, this is a selection from Stanway’s profile which further exemplifies the beliefs of those organising these anti-vaccine rallies. David Icke, Illuminati Jews, 9/11 Truther, Chemtrails:

Thanks for reading.

Update June 12 2015

The three anti-vaccine organisers of the Brisbane and Sydney protests publicly vilify Karen Johnston again, on the Sydney protest page:

Update June 13 2015

Lissa Weckert is confirmed by the organisers as a speaker at the Brisbane protest. As already noted above Weckert is a serial protester, having protested against Monsanto, fluoride and chemtrails alongside Stanway. Here are two screenshots from her profile which explain more than I could. A variant of Pincushion Baby:

And some nice anti-Semitism:

Update June 14 2015

Patricia Dow was the person to whom I was referring when I noted above that the Melbourne protest page is full of conspiracy theories. Dow posted this on the Brisbane protest page. Do click on this link to read the glorious prose in its entirety:

Of course the Brisbane organiser Stanway loves it:

Update June 15 2015

Sydney protest organiser Colak protests against Sydney protest organiser Poulsen’s inclusion in the Sydney protest. Colak – 1; Poulsen – 0:

The lack of organisational and intellectual coherence and stability has caused attendees to withdraw:

Sydney anti-vaccine protest organiser Poulsen is banned from the Sydney protest page:

Organiser Colak has stated she will be taking her four day old baby to the protest on Sunday, the baby being born on June 16. Just so we’re clear: Belgin Colak will be bringing her four day old baby to an event of around two-three hours duration, in which the brand new baby will be surrounded by adults and children who have either not been vaccinated, or whose immunity would have waned, in the case of whooping cough. At the moment there are whooping cough and measles outbreaks around the nation and Colak will be risking her four day old infant in this climate for the sake of her ideology:

Update June 16 2015

Brisbane protest organiser Stanway has commented on this post; but, as I have a “no lies” commenting policy she didn’t make it through. Here is her comment. She claims she is not anti-vaccine:

Here is the “I am NOT anti-vax!” Stanway on her Facebook profile on April 13 2015. This is one of many anti-vaccine posts on her profile. Like I said, liars are not permitted to comment here:

Update June 17 2015

Monique Grobben declares she will be at the Brisbane protest. Grobben first featured in this blog after laughing about private messaging the mother of a deceased baby under the pretense of concern, only to then start sending anti-vaccine misinformation, then, declaring the mother “ignorant”:

The Sydney anti-vaccine protest page is still welcoming the comments of Frankie Vazquez, whom we know from his flurry of death, bomb and arson threats against those whom he perceives to be a threat:

Update June 18 2015

Frank  Vazquez is still active on the Sydney anti-vaccine protest page:

South Australian anti-vaccine ideologue Kathy Scarborough is confirmed as a speaker at the Adelaide anti-vaccine protest:

Melbourne anti-vaccine protest organiser Libby Hobley (AKA Elizabeth Jane) posts a link to her appearance on Leon Pittard’s conspiracy internet radio program, Fair Dinkum Radio. Leon gets everything wrong in the introduction, which is to be expected: life is difficult. Hobley claims discrimination of her minority group (based on hers and her fellows’ anti-vaccine beliefs), as well as discrimination against religious groups who do not vaccinate (although there are none in Australia). Hobley and Pittard go on to lie about the safety of the HPV vaccine, amongst many other misrepresentations and displays of brazen wilful ignorance. Hobley also confirms that veteran anti-vaccine activist, Wendy Lydall, will be speaking at the Melbourne protest. All of the above confirms beyond a shadow of a doubt that these protests are anti-vaccine to the core:

Anti-vaccine flyers have been reported at the University of Wollongong, which is notably the university to whom the Western Australia-based Judy Wilyman is affiliated, conducting her PhD there under the tutelage of Professor Brian Martin; Martin himself recently publishing a how-to-avoid-health-regulators-for-dummies publication in assistance of the anti-vaccination movement. It is reported that four flyers have been removed from university property, including this one which was appropriately pasted on the refuse/recycling receptacle:

Update June 19 2015

The University of Wollongong’s links to the anti-vaccine protests were featured in today’s midday news bulletin, on ABC Illawarra [audio]. The report mistakenly claims that the AVsN is behind the protests, but, this slight error is more than forgivable due to the AVsN’s former profile as being a relevant organisation. Obviously, the AVsN is no longer relevant. Transcript as follows:

Nick McLaren: The role of the University of Wollongong in supporting anti-vaccination campaigns is continuing to attract criticism. A group called Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network appears to be behind a series of meetings around the country advertised under the banner “Freedom of Choice”. The meetings are protesting the Government’s No Jab, No Play policy, where parents who refuse to vaccinate their children could miss out on Government benefits. A meeting in Sydney is being advertised at the University of Wollongong campus and UoW PhD candidate Judy Wilyman is speaking at a Perth event.

Spinal surgeon and vaccination advocate Dr John Cunningham says the group is not presenting the pro-vaccination side of the argument.

John Cunningham: “People like Judy Wilyman, a PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong, is presenting only anti-vaccination rhetoric, fear, and misinformation in her presentations surrounding this protest which is going ahead.”

Nick McLaren: The ABC has sought to contact Judy Wilyman for comment.

Sydney anti-vaccine protest organiser Belgin Colak links to this blog, on the protest page. She is losing followers, as per the reasons above. Colak responds to me in the comments, which she must do because she banned me (and many, many others), from the protest page. Her explanations of anti-vaccine terminology and the infighting are just puerile, and silly. This is what happens when you let the children take charge of the adult jobs:

Colak reminds everyone on the Sydney anti-vaccine protest page that Damien Poulsen is not involved in the Sydney protest:

Update June 20 2015

Meryl Dorey, the public officer of the rabid anti-vaccination organisation, the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network, posts on the AVN Facebook page urging everyone to get out and protest against “medical tyranny”, “today”. As one commenter points out, the protest is tomorrow. Other commenters don’t know where to find information about the anti-vaccine protests. The anti-vaccine cause against the “scientocracy” rolls on as it always does, tripping over its own untied shoelaces:

Anti-vaccine entrepreneur of many anti-vaccine business ventures, a failed anti-vaccine charity, and co-owner of the pointless anti-vaccine Church of Conscious Living, Stephanie Messenger, confirms she will be at the Brisbane anti-vaccine protest. This further consolidates the anti-vaccine standing of the nationwide protests:

In the Perth anti-vaccine protest group the people who like to claim they are better researchers than scientists appear to be having difficulty knowing where they are supposed to be, or what they are supposed to bring to tomorrow’s anti-vaccine protest:

Update June 21 2015: anti-vaccine protest day

There are many photos circulating taken from the various protests; mainly Sydney and Brisbane. I’m not going to add many here. Friends have kindly secured many flyers and information sheets from the Brisbane protesters. All of the information is anti-vaccine. Of course the protesters are chanting the lies of “informed choice” and “pro-choice”, but, the only vaccine information available is anti-vaccine, as well as sovereign citizen wing-nuttery. Even this flyer states: “This is not an anti-vaccination flyer”.

It then goes on to completely misrepresent and lie about immunisation schedules, safety and efficacy, whilst going on to post an incredible section of almost every anti-vaccination lie you can muster, including this:

Prefer the child to catch the disease naturally

Which brings me to this toddler, photographed at the Brisbane protest, doing the parents’ bidding: the toddler exercising his/her parents’ freedom of choice. Why should we stand back and allow this toddler to be infected with vaccine preventable diseases, on his/her parents’ delusional whims? This toddler exemplifies, for me, everything that is wrong with anti-vaccination liars who can’t even be honest enough to admit their beliefs:

And if protesting for the right to deliberately infect a baby or toddler with infectious disease isn’t bad enough, anti-vaccine protesters in Sydney were handing out a flyer featuring a story written by baby murderer Alan Yurko. I’m serious:

Flyer courtesy Anne Blake who collected it in Sydney

Badges sold at the Sydney anti-vaccine protest. Skull-and-cross-syringes. “No to the vaccine.” Anti-vaccine to the core:

Source Facebook Public Image: Bialkowska.

And this guy/girl at the Sydney anti-vaccine protest, citing Tenpenny like a charm:

Source Facebook Public Image: Bialkowska.

Organiser Poulsen (left) reinstated himself to be in charge of the charade. Bronwyn Hancock (right) managed to appear without being publicly humiliated by Veira Scheibner (absent), this time. In the middle is some other person:

Source Facebook Public Image: Bialkowska.

And the very last image from the day of national deceit shall be from the organiser of the Sydney anti-vaccine protest, Belgin Colak, who is at pains to declare that the anti-vaccine protests are not anti-vaccine. Here is Colak inviting all Sydney protest page commenters to come and like her Facebook group, Anti-Vaccination Australia:

I don’t know any more. Is it napalm-grade ineptitude? Or is it a practised, sustained perfidy which nourishes these people?