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Reaction to the major anti-lockdown rally on April 25 at The Forks has been swift and furious. Photos taken without permission by reporters have resulted in the public shaming — and even firing — of people who attended. Strident calls come for action against attendees for spreading the virus — (often voiced by the same people who attended or celebrated BLM rallies). Anti-lockdown lockdown rally attendees are routinely called “COVIDiots” and other such derogatory names. A newspaper described the gathering as a place “where conspiracy theories were spread.” An atmosphere of “public lynching” prevailed.
But do those vicious sentiments accurately describe the civilized crowd of well over a thousand people who attended the rally? I am told by people who attended — responsible people — that those one-sided descriptions do not describe the people they encountered there. For instance, a funeral home employee described the grief of seeing young victims of pandemic-related suicides. Others spoke of similar tragedies they were forced to endure during this year of lockdown.