--- title: "Protesters Break Quarantine, Calling COVID-19 “Fake News”" description: "A group of COVID-19 truthers have taken to the streets of Vancouver calling the coronavirus outbreak \"fake news\" and ignoring social distancing rules." date: "2020-04-14" modified: "2020-04-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/protesters-break-quarantine-calling-covid-19-fake-news" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "canada" - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "the digest" --- # Protesters Break Quarantine, Calling COVID-19 “Fake News” ![A group of COVID-19 truthers have taken to the streets of Vancouver calling the coronavirus outbreak "fake news" and ignoring social distancing rules.]() *\Image: Victor Tangermann\* ## Fake News A group of ill-informed conspiracy theorists [took to the streets]() of Vancouver, British Columbia, over the weekend to call the coronavirus outbreak "fake news" — and, in a blatant display of disregard for public health, ignored social distancing rules implemented by the local government. "I think we’ve seen, in the past number of weeks, one or two examples of people behaving very badly," BC health minister Adrian Dix said during a Monday briefing, as [quoted by *Global News*](). ## Old News Videos, some of which had been watched [millions]() of times, showed about a dozen protesters standing within six feet of each other, holding up signs. [According to *VICE*](), a 70-year-old woman even helped organize the event — even though research shows that seniors are particularly at risk of dying from the disease. It's common for conspiracy theorists to respond to a deadly disease by claiming that it's a fraud. Similar ideas, for instance, [proliferated about HIV](). ## A Minority Provincial health officer Bonnie Henry said it was clearly a small number of people behind the protest. "There are some people who are trying to make a name for themselves," she [told *CTV News*](). "But we know that most people are following the rules, and that is making a difference." Some were a little more blunt in their messaging. "You're a fucking idiot," Hollywood A-lister Seth Rogen and Vancouver native wrote in [a tweet reply]() to a conspiracy video. "Stay inside." **READ MORE:** [Vancouver protesters call coronavirus fake news and say distancing rule should be defied, appalling health authorities]() \[*SCMP*\] **More on the outbreak:** *[Apple and Google to Launch App for Tracking the Coronavirus]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()