Anti-vax protests: ‘Sovereign citizens’ fight UK Covid vaccine rollout
Opposition to Covid vaccinations has come in many forms, but none stranger than the "sovereign citizen" defence.
It uses defunct ancient English law to try to challenge regulations.
Some anti-vaccination protesters outside schools and hospitals have used this to hand out fake legal documents to teachers, parents and health workers.
Others have sought to remove Covid patients from intensive care wards, citing non-existent "common law" empowering them to do so.
They also accuse the government of "vaccine genocide" in videos shared on social media.
Some groups have even held training camps for their members. Images have emerged of black-clad men being coached in "direct action" techniques.
No basis in law
Followers of "sovereign citizen" and "freeman on the land" conspiracy theories wrongly believe they possess the legal power to bring leading politicians, civil servants and scientists before so-called "common law courts".
They allege "crimes" over Covid restrictions and vaccinations, even though such claims have no basis in law.
But that has not deterred a newly-formed group calling itself Alpha Men Assemble, which combines anti-vaccine and sovereign citizen beliefs.
It has been holding training sessions in several UK locations where volunteers prepare for "direct action", such as breaking through police lines, marching formations and sparring.
Launched on the Telegram chat app in mid-December, the group has amassed 8,000 members, and posts footage of training sessions online.
According to the Daily Mail, at a recent training session in Staffordshire activists
were urged to "hit vaccine centres, schools, head teachers, colleges, councillors and directors of public health in every area".
The group has described itself as "free thinking men and women living as sovereign beings under common law". They say that they reject violence and are in favour of "body autonomy".
Its training events, it says, are "non-combative and are in no way to be linked to any militia or extremism".
We asked the Alpha Men Assemble group for comment, but have not yet received a response.
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Anti-vax protests: ‘Sovereign citizens’ fight UK Covid vaccine rollout