New Covid Conspiracy Newspaper With Extremist Ties Eyes Canada-Wide Distribution
A
new newsprint and online publication is making the rounds at Ontario’s
anti-lockdown protests. Billing itself as a source for information not
affected by government or big tech censorship, after only one issue Druthers has already made itself a home for fringe voices and ideas.
By Rayne
Posted on
December 18, 2020
Druthers,
a new print paper devoted to Covid conspiracies, launched its first
edition in Toronto on November 28. Claiming 25,000 hard copies in
circulation and an online edition, it is receiving a lot of buzz in
anti-mask/lockdown circles.
A second issue is planned for January 1, and editor Shawn Jason
Laplante, who goes by Shawn Jason online, announced that a partnership
is in the works with Ted Kuntz of Vaccine Choice Canada (VCC).
The status of this arrangement is unknown, and Laplante told
the Canadian Anti-Hate Network he was “just exploring some ideas,” when
asked for comment.
He presented it to his supporters a little differently.
“I just received a phone call from Ted Kuntz, president of
Vaccine Choice Canada and it looks like we are joining forces to make
Druthers even bigger and deeper reaching!” Laplante wrote in the private
Druthers Facebook group on December 4.
In the print edition, all of page two of the paper’s first issue was devoted to a press release from VCC.
While he told us there wouldn’t need to be a newspaper without
the “rampant censorship” seen in society, his goal is to reach national
circulation of half a million copies.
Current funding for the paper is coming from a mixture of
sources, including crowdfunding, ad and merchandise sales. Laplante
states on his GoGetFunding page that
$3,000 is all that is needed to produce and distribute 25,000 copies,
and that $5,000 would enable him to complete a publishing run of 50,000.
For the upcoming January 1st edition, he has raised $1,680 as of
December 6. Assuming all the supporters who advertised their business
ventures in the first edition paid for the space, he brought in
approximately $1,125 through advertising sales.
Laplante, who appears to be based in Toronto, writes in his first editorial that Druthers’
creators are “explorers of truth” who “love and care for all of
humanity.” While this may be what he would like people to believe, it is
not the case.
Dave Bolton of Newmarket, who is working closely with Laplante on Druthers, is the father of Mike Bolton, another frequent anti-lockdown protest attendee who describes himself as a fascist Atomwaffen Division supporter.
The paper is being promoted by the anti-Muslim ACT! For Canada’s website, alongside white nationalist and former University of New Brunswick professor Ricardo Duchesne’s Council of European Canadians, QAnon content creator Amazing Polly, and The Epoch Times, among others.
The paper was also promoted by a user on the notorious white supremacist forum Stormfront. RykerB posted a description of the project that appeared on other sites, including ACT! For Canada:
“This is exiting [sic] news! The first issue of this new newspaper is
complete. 25,000 physical copies have been printed. Druthers thanks
everyone for their love and support in bringing this to fruition. This
weekend they begin distributing the hard copies freely around Toronto
& neighbouring cities. In addition to the physical newspaper there
are also digital, and online versions.”
In response, Laplante stated he was unaware of the promotion on Stormfront and ACT! For Canada.
“Druthers is being talked about everywhere by many people. I’m
not a hater at all. Quite the opposite,” he said. “Heck, I don’t even
hate the globalists who I believe are committing massive crimes against
humanity right now.”
In addition to the expected anti-vax, anti-mask rhetoric, and
articles about how to organize a protest march and how to navigate
relationship challenges that may arise when one’s significant other is
not on board with anti-mask beliefs, Druthers also dips into the far right side of things by recommending “websites of interest” including The Corbett Report, Rebel Media, Dan Dicks’ Press For Truth, Lamont Daigle’s The Line Canada, and Hugs Over Masks, among others.
An article entitled “Panopticon: COVID-19 and the reign of
terror” by self-described “environmental journalist” Guy Crittenden
raises eyebrows with its heavy reliance on QAnon ideas and assorted
conspiracies, comparison of global COVID responses to Nazi eugenics and
the Holocaust, while leaning on a thinly veiled antisemitic trope that
globalists are “not connected to spirit.”
When asked about the content of the articles, he acknowledged
that “some people will call some articles conspiracy theory,” but said
his paper is about “exploring truths rather than trying to be a voice of
authority.”
At first glance, 48-year-old Shawn Jason Laplante appears to be
an unlikely publisher of such content. Indeed, some of his friends even
called him out for an October 4th Facebook post promoting his favorite
YouTube channels including Wayne Peters’ What’s Up, Canada?, Dan Dicks, and Amazing Polly, among others.
A self-described “Reality Alteration Specialist,” Laplante, a
home renovator and carpenter by day, has poured his passions into his
many side projects that, until now, promoted love and peace while
selling T-shirts and coffee mugs.
His most successful venture was I Love You Pass It On, or
ILYPIO, an admittedly endearing effort to spread little love cards
around the world to make people smile. He boasts that he got the cards
into over 800 communities worldwide, and his T-shirt made it into a
couple of music videos and was even promoted by Darius McCrary of Family Matters fame.
In an ironic twist, back in 2015 Laplante organized teams to
give out free hugs around Toronto, which almost seems like training for
what was to come in 2020. However, at that point, it does not appear
that he was telling his friends to “keep an open mind” when it comes to
far-right/racist material.
In June he asked for volunteers to take over the management of
the ILYPIO project, stating in the comments, “I’m feeling drawn to step
up my activism game. Iloveyoupassiton was
always intended as a form of activism, but lately I am moving towards
more aggressive activism… As the powers that be have upped their game
recently, so must I.”
This new aggression is leading Laplante to boost people like
antisemitic conspiracy theorist, David Icke on his social media and
within the pages of Druthers.
Icke is a one-time British football player known for his
promulgation of the theory that most major world leaders are a race of
reptilian and pedophilic aliens. Icke is also a decades-long
superspreader of conspiracies and misinformation — he claims that
“Rothschild Zionists” control the world, that Jews financially supported
Hitler during the Second World War, and that Jews were behind both the
9/11 terror attack and the 2008 recession.
Icke has also argued that schools should permit the study of Holocaust denial.
Recently, Icke was banned from YouTube after promoting the idea that COVID-19 was actually caused by 5G technology.
Laplante said in a comment that he was unaware of Icke being antisemitic.
Also, appearing in the pages is controversial Aylmer pastor
Henry Hildebrandt, who is making news for his hardline anti-mask
leadership of his congregation. Twenty years ago Hildebrandt courted
controversy when he fought the Children’s Aid Society to maintain the
right to strike his children and counsel his congregants to carry out
similar discipline in their families.
While Laplante is careful to say he doesn’t fully agree with
some of the individuals and organizations he highlights, at some point
fellow travellers become fellow believers and it is very concerning
where this new venture will lead him. In a brainstorming thread on
Facebook, Laplante proposes targeting COVID testing centres with his
propaganda while others suggest handing out flyers to parents outside
schools at drop-off/pick-up times.
“I don’t propose people distribute newspapers at COVID testing
centers,” he said when asked, “but offering up a flyer with some
information about the tests isn’t a bad idea.”
Laplante and Druthers
illustrate the dangers that come when New Age or anti-vax proponents mix
with racists and other far right actors. A strong belief in seeing the
goodness in everyone coupled with an attitude that “the enemy of my
enemy is my friend” leads to an increasing suspension of common sense
and moral judgement while pursuing the common goal of fighting covid
safety measures.
It remains to be seen whether Druthers
will continue to grow or will fall flat despite the support and assumed
injection of funds from VCC, but one thing is certain: Laplante has
strayed significantly from his proclamations of equal love and care and
it may take a significant change for him to return to that worldview.
With files from Elizabeth Simons and Kurt Phillips.
END THE LOCKDOWN MEGA RALLY IN KELOWNA DRAWS 2,000 JOYOUS FREEDOM FIGHTERS KELOWNA. December 12, 2020.
“This is the biggest freedom rally the Okanagan has ever seen,” Dave
Lindsay shouted as he greeted the over 2,000 people who had gathered
here for the Mega END THE LOCKDOWN Rally at noon. They came from Lilooet
and Kamloops, from Salmon Arm and the Lake Country, from Vernon and
Armstrong, from Keremos, Penticton, Okanagan Falls and Oliver. One
caravan even drove up from Vancouver. As the cavalcade from Salmon Arm
and Vernon drove down the highway their honking horns and anti-Lockdown
banners drew many thumbs up and supportive honks. The
rally opened with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. Singer and
songwriter Jacqueline-Rose warmed up the crowd as latecomers continued
to stream in. Then,
Dave Lindsay of Penticton, Chairman of C.L.E.A.R. (Common Law Education
and Rights Initiative), who has organized the weekly Kelowna Rally
since April had the crowd cheering with an attack on Bonnie Henry,
British Columbia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health: “Bonnie Henry is
trying to steal Christmas from us. Have as many people in your house as
you want to.” “And,” he added to laughter and more cheers, “Bonnie the
commie will never get another Christmas present!” Mr.
Lindsay noted: “COVID has divided families and it’s divided mine.” He
charged that the government’s position is a mass of lies and
misinformation. “The PCR test they use ha 10 major flaws. It can have an
up to 95% error rate. So, why are we using this test?The death rate in
B.C. was going down before masks were made mandatory in indoor public
spaces. Now, the death rate is going up!” In
a nurses’ case, several years ago, “Bonnie Henry gave testimony that
masks are not effective,” but now she’s imposing them on British
Columbians. “Bonnie Henry, you’re not a hero,” Mr. Lindsay concluded and
the crowd took up a chorus of “lock her up!” Ted
Kuntz, President of Vaccine Choice Canada, also spoke. He outlined the
terrible damage done to his son by a vaccine and the years of suffering
before the lad’s premature and untimely death.
Thanking the R.C.M.P. for helping the rally co-ordinate its march, Mr. Lindsay directed the crowd out from Stuart Park for a parade through the downtown part of Kelowna. Police blocked off one side of the road. The freedom fighters, including many couples with children and even some with babies in strollers stretched more than 10 city blocks. The joyous crowd, with not a mask in site, frequently broke into chants of “freedom” “no more lockdowns!” and, at several points, “Oh, Canada.” Many people along the route gave a thumbs up, many passing cars honked in approval. A few signalled disapproval, including one old lady, masked and alone in her car, who flashed the middle finger at the freedom parade.
After
the parade many of the freedom fighters lined the sidewalk along Harvey
Street where traffic inbound to Kelowna crosses over a bridge spanning
Lake Okanagan. The
afternoon, however, ended on a sour note when rally organizer Dave
Lindsay was presented with a $2,500 fine by the R.C.M.P., a fine that
the court-wise Mr. Lindsay intends to challenge vigorously. Once again, CAFE, which has backed all END THE LOCKDOWN protests since they began in Vancouver in mid-March, attended with a number of supporters from up and down the Okanagan.
No New Normal, Vancouver — Report on September 27, Protest
We thank everyone who joined us last Sunday. Here are some pics and videos about the event. Many thanks to James and William for their videos, and the pictures are from Maria of the NNN team. In addition, we are including a letter written to Dr. Bonnie Henry by one of our regulars, Allen. It is important that we continue these rallies and marches to wake people up to what is really going on. Join us this Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Thank you James for your video of the speeches and the march.
Please
bring your own items: lunch, drinks, chairs, blankets, etc.
Educational materials will be available for purchase.
Draws for PRIZES too! — See attached Brochure for more details
Second is a detailed update on today’s awesome media rally. Awesome if only because we had a great
attendance, a beautiful day, and definitely got the media’s attention. Please see the attached pix!!!
We had approximately 30 committed supporters of freedom
on a sunny and warm summer Okanagan day, though not all of them made the pix. Our rally began as a result of an article in
Castanet (online news) from reporter Sarita Patel, in relation to our fact
brochures we handed out on the nature of the COVID-19 issue. She interviewed
the person who found the brochure, and did not contact us at all to fulfill her investigative journalistic duties.
I
contacted her, and was told by her boss that they
would not be interviewing me because they are supporting B.C. Public
Health
Minister Bonnie Henry. This because their belief and support for Ms.
Henry is not being permitted to be challenged by investigative
journalism – ie. it is a form of wilfull blindness, recklessness, and
pure corruption. As demonstrated below, anyone who simply doesn’t
believe what the gov’t tells them, is some form of conspiracy nut, and
media outlets continually claim to be supporting gov’t propaganda and
lies, without any intellectual debate on the statistics, procedures and
death counts. No one is being allowed to challenge them.
Gov’ts have grossly over reacted to what true statistics prove, is no more
dangerous than, at most, a serious strain of the flu.
Forover 99% of the people who catch the
virus, it is not life threatening. Focus
should be on those most at risk, not shutting down our entire society and forcing
everyone to live in fear and paranoia.
Four Canadian epdemiologists in the National Post
recently, wrote that the chances of dying from a COVID infection if you are
under 65 years of age, is 1/166 666, or the same as being hit by a car. We have so many facts in relation to this
issue, as well as on the masks and social distancing issues, that it is becoming
hard to know where to start analyzing them all.
What has been done is nothing less than a criminal
misrepresentation of the seriousness of this virus, by our governments. This information on our position is critical
to understanding what happened in the local Castanet Letters column, which I
will explain shortly below.
Moreover, it is not merely the absence of
investigative reporting by these gov’t propaganda media outlets that is
worrisome, it is their repetitive labelling and derogatory allegations being
made against us, without even providing us the opportunity to provide them intelligent rebuttal. One could say it is, or borders on the line of slander, defamation or
libel – as well as deception/fraud. And of course, if prevents the truth of our cause from becoming mainstream
and the public living with lack of knowledge and in abstract and unnecessary fear.
As a result, of this ongoing misrepresentation by
the MSM in B.C. and in Canada, our group here in Kelowna made the bold and
unprecedented decision to hold a rally in front all local media outlets here in
Kelowna today, to voice our concerns over the substance of their reporting as
well as their refusal to hear us.
Our first stop was the Kelowna Daily Courier. We
were met within minutes by 4-5 staff outside all taking pictures of us and our
signs. I met with Mr. Ross Freake who was standing in for news reporters who
are on holidays. Mr. Freake was colourfully respectful to us/me in our brief discussions, and advised me that he would
contact the reporter on Thursday or Friday, and get back to me.
A woman official also sought answers to her
questions. Upon satisfying her queries,
she advised me that she was going to contact the publisher in relation to our
position on COVID-19, mask and social distancing. She was pleasant, appeared concerned on the issues I raised, non-abusive and
polite.
Contrary to their word, the very next day (Thursday) the Kelowna Courier printed
this article on the front page of their newspaper today, titled: “Virus-doubting
protesters picket Kelowna media outlets”.
This exact same article was also printed
in the Penticton Herald, with a different title: “COVID conspiracy theorists
picket media outlets in Kelowna”, with the following endnote:
“EDITOR’S NOTE: The
Herald stands by its coverage on COVID-19 and stories by other news agencies
that we have published. We 100% support the scientific and medical research
presented by Dr. Bonnie Henry, Dr. Theresa Tam and Dr. Anthony Fauci”
Mr. Freake promised me that they would not do an
article without seeking our opinion on the matter. He agreed with me that writing a story from only
one point of view, is pure propaganda. It
is obvious that the word of a media representative is about as reliable as that
of a politician. Almost.
We were unable to locate the CTV location. I had an address from the net that appeared
to be incorrect. I could not locate a
phone number. People in other buildings refused to assist. So, we moved on to Castanet.
Within minutes of our arrival, a super-charged
angry man came out of the building specifically asking for “Dave”. I introduced
myself, upon which he demanded to know why we were there. I professionally informed him that it was the
article in his news service that started this by having a report published with
incorrect information about us and refusing to permit us to correct the erroneous
allegations or provide the facts that we rely upon.
Further discussions ensued, where I informed him
that a Castanet official reneged on her word to me that we could publish a
small article/ad in the paper for our rallies as well, and then reneged on her word
on the advice of a superior.
This official, who refused to introduce himself,
was extremely angry, belligerent and made every attempt to provoke our group
into a confrontation. Fortunately, this
did not occur. His claim of calling the
police and that they were on there way, was an absolute lie, and no police
showed up at all. In fact, a police car even drove by and continued right past
us without stopping.
Shortly thereafter, a local radio station official
arrived and requested an interview. As
per usual, he had no business cards. However, he was professional and respectful in his questions and demeanour. I was allowed to fully answer all his
questions without interruption and his questions were not deceptive or
inflammatory.
As with the Courier, I told him politely that I
wanted an interview with his morning DJ and he said he would raise it on
Thursday morning with him and contact me again Thursday or Friday. As of
this writing, I have received no calls from this man and it appears that he is
following the same trustworthiness of other “professional” journalists. Then
it was off to Global News.
As you can see from the above article, the Castanet
official claims that we were going to other media outlets, and I suspect he
called them in advance. Upon arrival at Global, entrance was denied and communication
was only by speaker phone. I was told all news room were out on assignment,
until an unknown time. Unsurprisingly. I left some of our materials with them and
after ½ hour we left to the CBC.
No one answered the locked door, nor the
buzzer. Phone calls were routed to news
reporters who did not answer and went to voice mail. We remained here for ½ hour
and then ended our rally back at Stuart Park.
So, it was an eventful day and we most definitely
caught the attention of most if not all the local media here.
Unfortunately, it appears that this attention was merely that of role
playing. Every media outlet’s news reporters were conveniently
unavailable. This is no coincidence. They simply do not wish to
discuss facts, but to promulgate lies and outright deception.
All
group members were adamant that if the media
continues to ignore us, and/or publish incorrect or misleading
information
about us, we will be back better and stronger!! It appears that come
September, we will be back at their doorsteps with even more people.
Fraud lurks in silence – we will expose them.
I hope this will set a precedent for other
communities to protest their local and national medial outlets in their
communities, who are failing or refusing to do proper investigative journalism,
and are simply propaganda arms of our governments.
The most important advice I can give anyone in so
doing, is to have your position supported by facts. Know in advance how your province is misleading
everyone with falsified stats. Timelines
are critical – why are all these masks impositions occurring now when there are
virtually no deaths? BC has had almost 100
cases of COVID and no deaths recently, yet are imposing mask requirements on
all buses.
These masks are nothing more than a safety blanket
for the superstitious masses, who simply want something to believe in that will
save them.
Third: our next rally is Saturday, August 8, 2020, 12:00
noon at Stuart Park in beautiful Kelowna, B.C.
We need as many people
as possible
for our rallies!
If you have been unable to make it out to previous rallies, NOW is the
time to come out!!!!
Bring at least two friends!!!
There will
be several new issues to chat about on Saturday. BC has capitulated and will be forcing masks on
public transit beginning in later August. Walmart has also decided to require masks in the stores. This likely will mean more mask requirements
in other stores. This is going to
require a massive amount of sacrifice on our part if this happens.
We cannot simultaneously wear masks while
complaining that they are unlawful.
The mask
issue is polarizing the entire country and breaking up friendships and
families.
If it comes to a
choice of freedom or friends/families, do we sacrifice our freedoms for others
who either don’t care about them or stand in fear? If this was the case, we would never have
reached this stage (prior to COVID-19) to begin with. Strategy will play an important role for us
to discuss.
Theresa The Communist-WHO official Tam said recently in her August 6, 2020 press release:
We must maintain our resolve and ensure our
actions are guided by the best available science and evidence. With the rise of
social media and
other digital platforms, we are consuming more information
than ever before. However, some of this information, including certain claims
about
COVID-19, is false or misleading.
In our fight against COVID-19, we need to do
our part to stop the spread of misinformation. When we come across new
information, we need to
think critically about it, check it against credible sources
and not share it further if there is any doubt as to its validity.
Once we have confirmed our sources of
factual information, we need to use it to avoid labelling as much as
possible. It is one thing to be called
names
when someone has no information to support their position, it is quite another
to be called those same names when we do have supporting
facts, but they choose
to ignore them. That is when we can go on the offensive. Facts = credibility.
In an article in the Vancouver Sun, Health Minister had this
ominous quote attributed to him:
“As we approach our B.C. Day long weekend, let’s acknowledge right
now that it can’t be like any B.C. Day long weekend we’ve ever
had. This is our first B.C. Day celebration in our B.C. new
normal.”
“Use ‘COVID sense’ to stop the spread and stay safe”
Van. Sun July 27, 2020 p. A11
Reading between the lines provides a frightening look into the future:
there will be many more B.C. Day long weekends under similar circumstances as
we see now, ie: this is permanent and will never end.
We cannot permit this to happen. Which leads directly to the real
new normal that WE will practice.
The Real New Normal from now on, is:
Live normally and just say NO!
Do not fall into the
trap of believing that it is only because of the Gov’t’s social
distancing/masks demands that stores can now begin to slowly
open. To the contrary, it is directly because of the Gov’t’s actions that
we have sustained tens of billions of dollars in economic losses, permanent job
losses, unknown deaths and needless suffering from cancelled surgeries,
and incurred further health care costs resulting from these cancelled tests and
surgeries, and actually placed thousands of people’s health and lives at
risk. Communist PM Trudeau, Premier Horgan, Health Minister Dix, and
Public Health Officer Bonnie Henry are the true cause of these problems and
short of a public apology and immediate cancellation of the lockdown and social
distancing policies, must be voted out of office next election, or fired for
Ms. Henry. And criminally charged.
See everyone on
Saturday, August 8, 2020 12:00 noon at Stuart Park!
