Woman believed to be behind anti-mask coronavirus script identified
A woman who appears to be behind scripts anti-maskers are referencing when stopped by authorities has been identified as Melbourne conspiracy theorist Bernardette Cassar.
A civil engineering graduate, Ms Cassar shared a controversial “COVID stop checklist” to Facebook on July 24, encouraging Victorians to defy coronavirus public health orders and police attempting to enforce them.
She told social media users to print a copy of her list and keep it within their reach at all times, telling her followers the “police work for us, not the other way around”.
“You get to ask the questions, not them,” the “checklist” read.
Included in a list of “basics” she told her 3,119 Facebook followers to keep in mind were: “you do not consent, this is not law, you do not enter contract with them, you do not have to give your name unless you broke the law under common law, do not engage, you ask the questions”.
She told those confronted by police to hit them with a series of questions including asking if they were being detained, if they were free to go, under oath or obliged to answer their questions.
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Ms Cassar cited a court ruling which she claimed explained why people were not legally required to present their details when asked by police.
She urged people to record their meetings with police, and “know their rights” - claiming they were being “tricked into entering a contract” with authorities.
“If we start realising that we are not to fear the police and that we have the rights then, together united we can make a difference,” her checklist read.
Several people have filmed confrontations with police in recent days, seemingly using statements depicted in Ms Cassar’s post.
One woman’s video went viral after she confronted workers inside a Melbourne Bunnings store after they requested she wear a face covering, as per the retailer’s conditions of entry.
Video of what was believed to be the same woman unleashing an anti-mask tirade at an Australia Post worker in Melbourne also caused national outrage.
A second woman’s confrontation at Bunnings later emerged online before she had a fiery confrontation with Today show host who cut her interview short.
Another woman, Eve Black, a self-proclaimed COVID-19 conspiracy theorist, created a similar stir after filming herself passing through a Melbourne checkpoint after managing to avoid questions by police.
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The list was far from the first eyebrow-raising post on Ms Cassar’s Facebook profile, with her regularly sharing content saying COVID-19 is fake, 5G is the work of the devil and Victorian premier Daniel Andrews is a dictator.
She even shared a video suggesting that Victoria’s Secret underwear is being used to track people using microchips.
Earlier in July, she told her followers that people in Melbourne could be “targeted for human trials of an Australian vaccine in an experimental plan being drawn up by an Adelaide scientist”.
Ms Cassar took a stand against temperature checks of children at the start of the school day too, saying she would “not consent” to her children being checked.
She frequently refers to people complying to public health orders as “sheep” and complains of being “muzzled” from speaking the “truth”.
Posts spark condemnation online
Her posts have attracted a huge response from the community, with hundreds leaving comments on several posts - some expressing their disapproval and others their support.
One woman commented that luckily Ms Cassar and her supporters were “in the minority”.
“Which is somewhat satisfying,” she said.
Another person said a friend of theirs in the United States had recently died after not listening to advice about wearing face masks.
“He was a joking about not wearing masks ... and now he’s gone,” he wrote.
Another person argued: “The references you are using are irrelevant because we are in a state of emergency”.
“Maybe go do some more research... You are only lengthening the pandemic.”
Several others said the movement was a sign of the times, with one writing sarcastically: “It’s on the internet, it must be true!”.
In more concerning comments, however, some thanked Ms Cassar for her advice and said they would save the list of questions.
Don’t listen to conspiracy theories, Deputy CMO urges
These rapid-spreading conspiracy theories are putting everyone’s health at risk, Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd says.
“This is a pandemic. It is putting everyone's health and well-being at risk,” Professor Kidd told reporters on Monday.
“People may not be happy with some aspects they are seeing, but their health is at risk, their parents, their grandparents, we all need to be working together to tackle any of these myths.”
Prof Kidd urged people to only “listen to the messages which are coming from the government”.
“The single source of advice or truth is health.gov.au. Please go to that website, use this as your source of credible information, don't listen to myths on social media,” he said.
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