A BBC television documentary in 2021 described Totnes (population 8400) as “fiercely independent.”
Totnes Times newspaper. 11 November 2021.
Front page headline said: “COUNCIL REJECTS ANTI-VAX FORUM.
Sub-heading. Conspiracy group ‘causing distress and division’ in town, told freedom of speech is not freedom to lie.
I cannot say I heard much in the way of distress in Totnes, based in south Devon, England, but the town holds a diverse range of views on the global pandemic.
For example, a year ago I put a view on government response to Covid on Totnesians, a Facebook page for locals and others. I did not regard what I wrote as particularly contentious. Within an hour or two, there were more than 100 comments – for, against, both and neither.
The Administrator blocked further comments.
A prime example of conflict of views in the town occurred last month (November 2021) between Totnes Town Council and a proposed Covid “Truth Conference” with some of the UK prominent anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theorists giving talks and taking questions.
The Council banned the meeting in the Civic Hall claiming anti-vaxxers “spread lies dangerous to people’s health.”
The decision triggered a protest among range of Totnesians. A petition in the town called upon the Council to revoke its decision as the Civic Hall is a public facility. Leading anti-vaxxers accused the Council of suppressing free speech and “giving in to bullies, censorship and outright totalitarianism.”
Posters for the conference said “THE AWAKENING CONFERENCE. BREAKING THE SPELL. SATURDAY 20 November. 3 pm to 10 pm.
This is Totnes. It would have been a vibrant lively debate for seven hours. We would have had the opportunity to listen to a wide range of views and equally express a broad range of counterviews.
Totnes Times said conspiracy theorists due to speak at the conference included Gareth Icke (son of prominent conspiracy theorist, David Icke), Dr. Stephen Hopwood, founder of New World Alliance, Patrick Henningen, a writer for UK Column News, Qanon speaker Sheldon Tasker and Anne de Buisseret, a former lawyer and fierce critic of vaccinations.
I felt it unfortunate that the Council banned the conference. It seemed patronising. This is Totnes. Devon. We live in farming country but we are not sheep nor polite, deferential listeners.
Why issue a ban? Are we afraid of views and opinions passing through the air?
Totnes Times 25 November 2021
Front page headline said: ANTI-VAX PROTESTORS STOP TRAFFIC
The Awakening Conference organisers decided to hold a protest demonstration on the Saturday of the following week. The Mayor of Totnes described the planned demonstration as an act of “provocation” and “distressing” for many in the town.
The Mayor said, “I’m really sorry that so many gentle souls and seekers after truth and insight have been conned by these people.”
The street protestors called on the government and NHS to abolish Covid passes and stop the vaccinations on children. The demonstrators filled Totnes high street down to Fore Street at the foot of the town.
The Mayor said local citizens acted with a “mature, tolerant attitude and allowed the five coach loads of activists with a handful of locals to drift down the high street.”
The Mayor’s view that only a ‘handful of locals’ participated seems far-fetched. This is Totnes. Rainbow Country. Inspiration for the Transition Town movement employed around the world. Communities, Sharpham House, Dartington Estate, Steiner School, Gaia House, organic farms, home schooling within a few miles of the town.
Three years ago, independent voices in the town declared Totnes an ‘Independent City State” and issued passports to protest against Brexiteers who spread lies in its meetings in the town and the rest of the country, yet the town did not ban Brexit meetings.
While sitting drinking oat latte in the coffee shop, I witnessed the start of the demonstration with perhaps up to 2000 people walking with various banners on freedom, trust, media, science and more.
I had no interest to join the demonstration. I have no interest whatsoever to support conspiracy theorists. I have no interest to ban them from public debate on issues of our time. I have no interest to adopt a view that vaccinations every few months, masks, social isolation and lockdown will stop the pandemic. I regard the vaccinations ( still primarily for available for rich countries), covid passports for public venues and lockdown as a narrow-minded response to a global crisis.
We need Awakening Conferences to address the pandemic embracing an overview and exploring ways to work with this highly contagious virus and a mental/physical health crisis. Vaccinations, masks and plenty of ventilation have a part to offer.
It was divisive to ban the opportunity for a public debate in Totnes on a major global issue. The conspiracy theorists would not have had an easy time in Totnes. Totnes Council missed a beat. A pity. If being lectured to, I would expect plenty of us would speak with our feet and walk out.
This is Totnes. Fiercely independent.
Hello Christopher,
We do indeed need Awakening conferences.
I have chosen not to be vaccinated but I am not an ‘anti vaxxer’ . Those of us who have chosen to reject the covid vaccine are unfortunately being categorised with those who reject all vaccines.
I live in Edinburgh and have formed a support group with others who have refused the vaccine, do not wish to see discriminatory vaccine passports and do not wish to see the abomination of mandated vaccines. We hold peaceful rallies at cities in Scotland to oppose vaccine passports and mandated vaccination. The vaccinated and unvaccinated alike march shoulder to shoulder.
Thanks to an article in the Lancet we now know that vaccinated and unvaccinated people alike can catch and spread the covid virus. My local U3A group made the decision to ban the unvaccinated from group meetings. After considerable protest from myself and others they changed the ruling so that the unvaccinated may attend meetings provided they present a negative lateral flow test. I consider this to be discriminatory against the unvaccinated.
I feel many lies are being told and believed about the covid virus. We were told that the Government was not considering vaccine passports yet here we are.
The covid vaccine has not yet completed clinical trials and yet people seem to take on trust that ‘it is safe’. There are instances of people within our own family circle and circle of friends who have suffered vaccine injury. Many reputable and prestigious scientists and physicians have raised the alarm with regard to the health risks the vaccine presents, but they have been ridiculed and banned from social media channels and you tube. One has had to go into hiding for his own safety. The number of incidents reported to the ‘vaccine adverse event reporting system’ in various countries is a flashing red warning signal that Governments for whatever reason choose to ignore.
Mandatory vaccines would be in violation of the basic principals of medical ethics. This would simply be unjust in the context of a disease that is not lethal to most and is treatable. That Germany and Austria are leading the way to mandatory vaccination is truly chilling.
The Government through the media have consistently spread fear and have deliberately manipulated people to go along with these inhumane measures. Not once has the harm of lockdowns and mask wearing been discussed let alone measured although it is obviously huge.
It is worth considering that ‘this pandemic’ is no longer about the virus but Government control of world populations through digital ID. Those who believe freedom will be found through their vaccine passport may be in for a very cruel disappointment.
In Germany, the ‘ huge effects of lockdown and mask wearing ‘ are being discussed almost binstop, im observation.
It is said by some specialists that FFP2 masks prevent the virus from entering ones system to the effect of 98 percent.
Here I stop myself from cynicism and dark sarkasm. No absolutism from my side.
‘Do as you wish.’ Alisteir Crowley.
binstop = nonstop…..
We need data (full data) and debate.
A totalitarian never allows that.
Healthy skepticism is not conspiracy.