NewsBite

Stephen Rice

Coronavirus: Shadow puppet-mistress pulling protest strings

Stephen Rice
Ant-vaxx protest organiser Karen Brewer; some of those at the Adelaide protest on Tuesday.
Ant-vaxx protest organiser Karen Brewer; some of those at the Adelaide protest on Tuesday.

In one of the greatest con-jobs of the pandemic, hundreds of Australians delivered themselves up for arrest and $5000 fines on Tuesday at the behest of a delusional conspiracy theorist hiding out on a farm in New Zealand.

Such is the growing lunacy of the anti-vax protest movement that it is now hostage even to the petulant demands of Karen Brewer – a woman whose sole mission is to imprison “filthy Freemason scum” and throw away the key.

Many of those who turned up to vent their fury at various State Parliaments and council offices around the country must have known that the puppet-mistress behind the event was deeply disturbed.

After all, Brewer has at least 20,000 disciples on social media avidly following her death threats against politicians.

A recent hit was her message to a senior NSW politician: “You f..king C..t you will be swinging from a rope and your carcass will be dumped in the sea.”

The mob loved it.

Anti-lockdown and Covid-19 protests outside the South Australian Parliament in Adelaide Picture: NCA NewsWire
Anti-lockdown and Covid-19 protests outside the South Australian Parliament in Adelaide Picture: NCA NewsWire

Some of the pitchfork and noose brigade were at the protests on Tuesday, breathless with excitement at confronting “the costumed thugs” – Brewer’s term for the cops.

But plenty of the others just turned up for the show. It seems to be what happens when boredom meets stupid in locked down Australia.

Not that Brewer herself is an idiot. She’s always miles away by the time the proverbial hits the fan.

Only a couple of years ago she was living in Australia spewing out diatribes against anyone she deemed to be a member of the Masonic paedophile cabal she believes rules the country.

One of those was Nationals MP Anne Webster, who was entirely innocent but found herself the subject of vile accusations she was part of a child sex abuse network.

An anti-vax protest outside Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: Tara Croser
An anti-vax protest outside Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: Tara Croser

Webster sued for defamation and was awarded $875,000 in damages. The judge labelled the claims “disgraceful and inexplicable,” and Brewer as “delusional”.

But Webster hasn’t seen a cent of the money.

Brewer fled to New Zealand to avoid the claim and began tuning her message to the growing anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown movement.

A dozen wannabe leaders of the anti-lockdown movement are jostling for power and influence over a highly suggestible audience.

Brewer has trumped them all.

Over recent months her denunciations have grown increasingly shrill, warning politicians she believes are hiding evidence of their alleged crimes: “Just so you know, those ropes swing regardless.”

On Tuesday, no one got lynched.

A woman is arrested in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard
A woman is arrested in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

But thousands of Australians showed up for the “silent protest”, many of them screaming obscenities at police.

In Brisbane they shut down Parliament over fears the building would be breached.

In Murwillumbah a man riding a white horse went on a rant about “childless” female leaders and was cheered by the crowd.

Elsewhere around NSW, 160 people were arrested, some for assaulting police, and 600 fines issued ranging from $500 to $5000.

Police officers patrol the perimeter of Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled
Police officers patrol the perimeter of Parliament House in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Final score: Idiots 0; Taxman $500,000+

So far most of the violence at the ongoing protests has been contained.

No one believes that will last.

The online rhetoric of treason and genocide is fuelling a level of anger we haven’t seen before in this country.

The protest movement needs to take a deep breath – and look at who’s pulling the strings.

Read related topics:Coronavirus

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/coronavirus-shadow-puppetmistress-pulling-protest-strings/news-story/202ae9f067f0c53e45b5e25c8f2377bf