A group comprised of hundreds of local residents – including two students at the University of Lincoln – is behind recent lockdown protests in the city, The Linc can reveal.

The group, which will not be named in this article, has more than 250 members on Facebook and nearly 70 members in a Telegram chat, many of whom believe that the pandemic is a hoax and the vaccines are deadly.

One of the students in the Telegram chat said they will refuse to test or wear a mask while accessing facilities on campus.

Following a month-long investigation, The Linc can now detail the workings of the group. This article will focus specifically on the Telegram chat, which is considerably more active.

Theories

At its core, the group (on Telegram) is anti-lockdown, anti-government and generally doubtful of the danger/existence of COVID-19.

Many common unproven theories regarding the virus were established throughout the course of the investigation – some of which have already been discussed in an earlier article published on The Linc.

In particular, the ingredients of the vaccinations were the subject of scrutiny. Members claimed that the jabs included aborted foetal tissue from cows and humans, E. coli and mercury (can be toxic to the nervous/digestive systems, lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes).

For reference, the list of ingredients that the Government has published for the Oxford/AstraZeneca and BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer vaccines doesn’t contain these substances.

A number of members in the group also believe the vaccinations are causing deaths – predominantly among older people. As one individual put it: “People just don’t see its [sic] not covid but the vaccine.”

Lists have been shared across the group, claiming to show doctors who agree that the vaccines aren’t safe or effective, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Dr David Turner, a clinical microbiologist and infection specialist who teaches at The University of Nottingham, said concerns about the new vaccines are understandable. “But there was a huge amount of effort put into the development of vaccines,” he said.

“We now have a number of vaccines which have essentially been approved – have been shown to be both safe and effective in preventing particularly the severe end of the spectrum of disease,” he added.

Many members expressed a deep distrust of mass media and the Government, as both have played a large part in the lockdown regulations and response to the pandemic.

This includes accusations that the press has created ‘mass panic’, and anger and disbelief at the ‘Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives’ order given by Prime Minister Boris Johnson through three separate U.K. lockdowns across 2020 and 2021.

Some of the group forwarded posts from other similar chats, such as: “The only cause of the pandemic is the media” and “Nothing happened, but everything led to more taxes.”

On a few occasions, members suggested they’re paying unnecessary taxes for services that cannot be used, and for a pandemic that doesn’t exist. One individual said: “We are paying council tax for services we don’t get anymore. We don’t even get street lights after midnight.” Another claimed to have stopped paying council tax entirely.

But overall, one of the most prevalent theories was that COVID-19 simply doesn’t exist, with some of the members blaming a Government scam, an attempt to boost the economy or an effort to scare the population.

In a sentence: “You believe in COVID, I believe in Santa and fairies.”

Messages

The Linc recorded scores of messages, often containing false information and unproven theories.

Anti-Semitic themes surfaced twice in the group, as one member forwarded a message that read: “Here’s how to stop vaccinating. You tell the old Jewish liberals that their life insurance companies’ policies won’t cover the cost if you get vaccinated.”

Another member made a violent threat in response to being photographed in public: “[…] im not joking they can f*** right off take a photo of me and im having your camera or ripping your throat out.”

But in some cases, messages painted an intimate picture of the personal impact of rejecting trusted science.

In one exchange, a member of the group wrote: “I feel marginalized, [sic] like [my family] view me as if I’m in the wrong for saying no to this madness.”

In response, another member asked if it’s time to “cut and run”. “They will never see you in the same way again,” they added.

The first individual continued: “My parents even accused me of wanting them to die because I told them not to take [the vaccine].”

Members of the group were pleased at media coverage of their movement and beliefs – even when it was negative. This article does not name the group or any of its members for this reason.

Protests

Some members of the group are also part of – and coordinate with – larger anti-lockdown movements.

In particular, a subset of the group will be attending a protest in London on Saturday, as part of a national effort to push against lockdown restrictions and reopen businesses.

Members have been arranging transport and sharing advice for weeks, in anticipation of the event.

Some have spoken of car shares and meeting up to protest. This goes against the Government’s lockdown regulations and is likely to be met with police presence to contain the situation, such as at the recent anti-police demonstration.

And now, Boris Johnson and his government have also voted in favour of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which some fear will be used to crack down on peaceful protests and “serious annoyance.” This, along with COVID-19 restrictions, makes the planned protest even riskier.

The group has also organised smaller gatherings themselves in Lincoln to “share their cause” and create a community.

One was held on the High Street in February, and another in Boultham Park on 13 March. There have been several others planned.

Though the members have not socially distanced at these events or worn masks, they don’t appear to have been stopped by law enforcement.

The group, which has been hidden in plain sight and operating for months, continues to recruit new members.

The Linc also identified several other similar groups at the county, national and international level.

The Linc will be covering the large protest planned for Saturday.