The Day Winnipeg's Anti-Vax Movement Went Too Far

If you want a lesson on how a movement can instantly commit suicide and destroy any shred of humanity and decency that it MIGHT have had, one should look no further than today's anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-health measures protest that took place at the main hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Anti-vaxxers in Winnipeg and Manitoba have become increasingly bold, aggressive and militant in the last number of months. For a while, I felt that, "Hey, you know, we can't push everyone to get vaccines. Let's not shame people who are vaccine hesitant." But, as more and more of this madness happens, the less and less patience I have with the movement that has gained strength in this city and province and is drawing in more and more of the vaccine hesitant.

So here is the story. Today, rallies were held across the country organized by a group called Canadian Frontline Nurses. Who is this group? Who knows. They don't seem to be affiliated with any official nursing organization. Heck, for that matter, are any nurses actually part of this group??

So, who showed up at the protest today? Well, a lot of angry anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-health mandate, anti-science folks, but, seemingly no nurses. Where were all the nurses? INSIDE TAKING CARE OF PATIENTS!

Now, protest isn't a bad thing in itself. It's a right that we have as Canadians. If you believe in something, you bet you have a right to stand up. HOWEVER, protesting at a hospital???? Even if your cause is great, the optics are very bad, to say the least.

According to an initial report by Winnipeg Free Press, this was the scene.

"...[H]ealth-care workers looked on from the hospital entrances. Ambulances pushed through the congested traffic with their lights on. People held up signs and yelled at passing vehicles, sometimes with a megaphone. The atmosphere was raucous but non-violent; although there was one shouting match between protesters and a passerby."

If you are protesting and doing all of this, you have crossed a line. In fact you have vaulted over that line so far and so deep that you can no longer see the line. If you are making it difficult for ambulances to get emergency cases to the hospital, you have completely lost the plot. You have destroyed your movement. You have dug it's grave. As it is, many people in this city and province have been fed up with those who fight so hard against every single measure put in place to try and stop Covid. Doing stuff like this on TOP of that is just asking for people to out and out hate you.

As it is, the diehard, aggressive, anti-mask, anti-vaxxers and anti-health order crowd have made a real nuisance of themselves by attacking businesses who follow health orders. According to a Global News article, as well as countless testimonials on social media, they will go online and smear businesses, leaving them low ratings, complaining because the restaurants are following health orders handed down by the government. They will call, make reservations and not show up. Or, they will just outright berate staff over measures that are put in place beyond their control. It's getting more and more aggressive and less and less rational all the time. And it's scary.

Right now, we have a federal election going on. At many of the campaign stops our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is making, he has to deal with all of these protesters screaming obscenities at him over public health measures, vaccines and masks. There hasn't been any violence, fortunately, but scenes have indeed been ugly. It's disturbing and ridiculous.

The anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-health measures crowd is really wearing out their welcome. Any sympathy I may have had for them has completely evaporated and I fear where all of this is headed. How long until this really does devolve into violence? If they go as far as protesting outside of a hospital and trying to ruin businesses, how much farther are they willing to go as they get more and more desperate to push their agenda? If someone doesn't want to get vaxxed, hey that's up to them. But, once these people start interfering in the lives of those who DO want to get vaxxed, who DO want to follow health orders, who DO take Covid-19 seriously and know the risks, it's really hard not to be furious with them.