From Reuters, last week:
A COVID-19 vaccination centre in Bristol was temporarily closed on Oct. 1 following a demonstration by protesters. It reopened as scheduled on Oct. 4. A video being shared on social media misleadingly claims the centre was “closed for the foreseeable future”.
…In the footage, which was recorded on Saturday, Oct. 1, a man in military uniform tells viewers that he and other protesters had “closed” a vaccine centre at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE).
…Similar posts can be seen on Facebook (here, here and here), Twitter (part one here and part two here), where together the videos have been viewed more than 118,000 times, and Instagram (here).
The “man in military uniform” (more specifically, combat gear) has been identified by John Bye as a former soldier named Dale Vincent. Vincent was reportedly arrested.
The action was led by Mark Sexton, a former police officer who got into the news last year after lodging a police complaint against vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi. Sexton also spoke at a protest in London around the same time, as discussed by Reuters here (and noted by me at the time).
Sexton was not deterred by Vincent’s arrest, and there was a further disruption at a vaccination centre in Windsor a few days ago. Videos show several individuals telling security staff that they will be issued with “caution notices” in relation to a series of crimes – typical sovereign citizen pseudo-legalese babble. A distinctive figure dressed in red (and the only black man apparently involved) was one Dave Murphy, a urine-therapy enthusiast who goes by the name “Allegedly Dave”.
This time Sexton himself was arrested, along with his associate Steve Forsythe and Mikey P. Mikey P was featured in the Mail on Sunday last year, after the paper infiltrated a group called “Veterans 4 Freedom”, which was plotting to target vaccination centres – following the group’s exposure (one “cell” was so inept that it held a planning meeting in a pub garden), it reformed as “Global Veterans Alliance”. Videos from Windsor show a number of the disrupters were wearing berets, indicating their status as ex-military. They also all appear to be middle-aged – it is reasonable to suppose that these are men who have not adapted well to civilian life or status, or to the passage of years.
One detail from the Bristol protest noted by John Bye is that Sexton brandished his phone at police and told them that Aseem Malhotra was on the line and wanting to talk to them. Bye attempted to ask Malhotra about this on Twitter:
Given Mark Sexton’s claim that he had him on the phone during this incident, will @DrAseemMalhotra confirm whether:
1) He has been in contact with Mark Sexton
2) He asked Mark Sexton to let him talk to the police
3) He condones Mark Sexton and his group’s violent behaviour
No reply so far. More on Malhotra here.
Filed under: Uncategorized
“it is reasonable to suppose that these are men who have not adapted well to civilian life or status, or to the passage of years.”
That statement contains more than one logical fallacy its a strawman, a red herring and an ad hominem.
As for your claim that Mark Sexton is violent, that is defamation and as I am friends with him I will be forwarding your comments on and advising him to take legal action against you.
I fully agree with Richard’s post. These anti-vaccine people are a nuisance, and worse, interfering with the rights of ordinary people to protect themselves. Now, if these ex-police, and ex-military put their energies into protesting against the threats Russia poses, at the Russian Consulate, I would have a little more respect for them. By the way, as a lawyer, I would say Richard would have no case to answer on the claim, quote, “As for your claim that Mark Sexton is violent, that is defamation and as I am friends with him I will be forwarding your comments on and advising him to take legal action against you.” because Sexton was arrested, understandably for causing an affray….An attempt at any civil action, against Richard for reporting the incidents, would therefore fail.
And, as a lawyer, I would add, on this proposed civil defamation action against Richard, for doing his job well, that as the Truss government is currently scratching around desperately for money to offset the national debt, what better way to achieve funding than for an arrested person, to make a High Court application for ‘permission to proceed’, that friend Sexton, would have to pay in advance, currently over a grand, and lose the money, because any such application will be refused, thereby giving more coffers to the MoJ, ultimately Truss. Or her take-over !!