In October 2020, three scientists released a statement signed by 800 professionals warning against extreme measures like quarantines, lockdowns, and travel restrictions during the pandemic [5811479f]. The statement emphasized the negative societal impact and disproportionate harm to vulnerable populations caused by such measures [5811479f]. However, the release of the statement was met with an astonishing frenzy of denunciation, with major media and government officials criticizing it [5811479f]. The scientists behind the statement, Martin Kulldorff, Jay Bhattacharya, and Sunetra Gupta, hoped to bring back rationality and common sense to public health policies [5811479f]. They faced immediate backlash, with Twitter accounts smearing them and their document [5811479f]. The website hosting the statement was also subjected to sabotage [5811479f]. The intense opposition to the statement was part of a larger censorship machinery aimed at maintaining fear and lockdowns until the vaccine was available [5811479f]. The timing of the statement's release, just before the election, was seen as a threat to vaccine acceptance [5811479f]. The lockdowns imposed during the pandemic lacked scientific justification and were a radical move [5811479f]. The Great Barrington Declaration, as the statement came to be known, challenged the dominant narrative and disrupted the carefully constructed censorship regime surrounding the pandemic [5811479f].
In Ontario, an Ontario doctor named Dr. Kulvinder Kaur Gill is fighting against censorship by the College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSO) for her COVID-related commentary on Twitter in 2020 [1d9a3e43]. Despite her extensive medical background and scientific expertise, Dr. Gill has faced disciplinary actions for expressing concerns about lockdown measures and the lack of scientific justification for other health edicts [1d9a3e43]. The CPSO issued cautions for specific posts, citing China's lockdown measures as scientific evidence [1d9a3e43]. Dr. Gill's lawyer, Lisa Bildy, sought to have these cautions overturned by the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB) but was unsuccessful [1d9a3e43]. Relief is now being sought from the Ontario Divisional Court to withdraw the cautions on Gill's record [1d9a3e43]. The court judges tasked with the review are the Honourable Harriet E. Sachs, Frederick L. Myers, and Sharon Shore [1d9a3e43]. The tension between medical professionals' freedom of expression and the regulator's enforcement of alignment with government directives during the pandemic is highlighted [1d9a3e43]. Bildy argues that the CPSO's COVID-19 directives and investigation of dissenting opinions have a chilling effect on free speech and a physician's right to voice their professional opinion [1d9a3e43].
Dr. Scott Atlas, a former professor at Stanford's medical school, has also experienced censorship related to COVID-19 policies [149ce12d]. Atlas, known as a public face of the anti-lockdown movement, advocated for targeted protection and an end to lockdowns [149ce12d]. He faced attacks and defamation from some members of Stanford's faculty, who circulated emails trying to delegitimize him [149ce12d]. Atlas believes that censorship in academia takes many forms, including harassment and intimidation [149ce12d]. He accuses Stanford of failing to uphold academic freedom and calls for an apology and a fix to the censorship culture [149ce12d]. Atlas mentions the support he received from people around the world who were desperate for the truth about the lockdowns [149ce12d]. He discusses the censorship he faced from the university, including defamatory statements and a formal censure by the Stanford Faculty Senate [149ce12d]. Atlas believes that political bias played a role in the censorship, as other medical scientists at Stanford who expressed similar views were not censured [149ce12d]. He criticizes the behavior of the faculty and calls for more people with courage to speak the truth [149ce12d].
A new documentary titled 'COVID Collateral' exposes collusion between Big Tech, Big Government, and medical establishments to stifle dissent and institute censorship [b222702f]. Directed by Vanessa Dylyn, the film delves into the consequences of censoring science in a free society and how it distorts public understanding, hinders policymaking, and erodes trust in institutions [b222702f]. The documentary aims to shed light on the challenges faced in making the film and the trepidation within the industry [b222702f]. It will have its first screening on May 9 in Toronto, featuring speakers such as law professor Bruce Pardy and Jennifer Hibberd from Canada Health Alliance [b222702f]. The film seeks to explore the collusion and censorship behind pandemic policies and the impact on society [b222702f].
The release of the documentary 'COVID Collateral' adds to the ongoing discussion about the censorship and collusion surrounding COVID-19 policies. It highlights the importance of freedom of expression and the need to critically examine the scientific justifications for lockdown measures and other health edicts. The documentary aims to provide a platform for dissenting voices and challenge the dominant narrative surrounding the pandemic. By exposing the collusion between powerful institutions, the film seeks to restore trust in public health policies and promote informed decision-making. The first screening of the documentary in Toronto will be an opportunity for experts and the public to engage in a meaningful dialogue about the consequences of censorship and the importance of upholding scientific integrity during times of crisis [b222702f].