Anti-vaxxers allegations even compared the government pilot organizers to Nazis. The widespread campaign to nab vaccination, Cinema, among other big event reformation efforts, uses conspiracy theories and online platforms to divulge the personal information of its staff and organizers.
Anti-vaccine and lockdown extremists took online groups to circulate personal data of staff and other individuals helping organizations run cinema and other large-scale event trials. This has prompted some people to send inappropriate abusive messages.
Government Pilot Testing Reveals Abysmal Results
In a government's pilot scheme of restarting large-scale gatherings, Managing Director of The Luna Cinema George Wood agreed to participate. However, what came next was revolting and unexpected, as per Wood's account, claiming he received at least three hundred emails of accusations that say that they are a part of a "medical apartheid."
"We must be approaching about 300 emails accusing us of things like being a part of a 'medical apartheid.'" Wood says.
'Vaccine Passport' Scheme?
Gathered emails accuse Luna of being part of a "vaccine passport" scheme. This scheme is said to enforce a mandatory vaccination to the unsuspecting public, using fear to raise more profit for the exploitative company or organization.
On the other hand, Luna only requires its attendees to show proof of vaccination and evidence of a recent negative COVID-19 test.
Attacks Hurled
The messages contained personal attacks and the comparison of organizers to abysmal historical figures like the Nazis.
Wood, repulsed by the response, said the claims were "ridiculous" and upsetting to the staff involved in the government pilot scheme.
He also said that the messages contained similar slogans and phrases, which could mean that it could be a coordinated campaign. The attacks addressed to the police were even more extreme and preposterous.
Cinema Industry Comeback
On bringing the Cinema Industry back to the public, Wood said that they are taking part in this positive endeavor of returning the freedoms that have been taken away by the unfortunate circumstance induced by the pandemic.
"We are doing something positive for the industry," Wood says. "We're helping return the freedoms that have been removed by Covid."
Online Harassment
The harassment experienced by Luna Cinema isn't an isolated case. The BBC reports details of the organizer's personal information posted sparingly online, including phone numbers and email addresses in many mass event pilots.
The report said that one group with almost 16 thousand people on the chat app Telegram, contact details of organizers of the events were pinned to the top of the chat. The group was said to be devoted to Covid-19 and vaccine conspiracy theories.
A post reads: "Help Kill The Government Trials That Will Inevitably Bring In Vaccine Passports" and goes on to list contact email addresses for organizers.
Some of the posts even declare that the vaccination events "must fail."
'Pilots?'
Pilots are ways for the government to collect relevant data and information to test ways to integrate COVID-19 measures to be kept while eventually reopening closed industries such as the Cinema Industry. Findings from these events on testing, social distancing, among other safety protocols, will inform how mass venues can reopen safely after 21 June, when all lockdown measures are currently planned to be lifted.
This article has been posted on Tech Times
