Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, was arrested yesterday and charged with “malicious communications and public nuisance” after he distributed leaflets containing dangerous misinformation about coronavirus vaccines. The leaflets included a drawing of the Auschwitz concentration camp gate, with its infamous “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” (‘work sets you free’) sign replaced by the
Evening Standard newspaper headline “VACCINES ARE SAFE PATH TO FREEDOM”. The drawing, by Alexander Heaton—who was also arrested yesterday—falsely implies that vaccine safety is as deceptive as the Auschwitz slogan.
The leaflets were produced by the Stop New Normal group, which organises ‘anti-vax’ campaigns and discourages the wearing of facemasks, despite the coronavirus pandemic. The politicisation of facemasks, and the spread of harmful and false vaccine conspiracy theories, are more widespread in the United States (following former President Trump’s refusal to endorse mask-wearing), though malicious groups such as Stop New Normal show the extent to which this toxic fake news is also spreading in the UK.
