Protestors temporarily unite under “anti” movement in Canberra, but what will the long-lasting effects be?

Elise Thomas features in this episode of the Talk of the Times for the Canberra Times looking at the unifying nature of the “anti-” protests taking place around the city. Elise explains how there is no common denominator to the crowds other than they greatly oppose many things: anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine, vaccine mandates, etc.

“But as soon as they start to talk about what they’re actually for, the positive argument for what they want, a lot of them start to realise that actually they want something quite different than the person standing next to them,” she said.

Protestors from a wide range of demographics from around the country banded together over the weekend in what is being called the Convoy to Canberra, a protest that has largely sparked in the aftermath of the truckers’ convoy on the US-Canada border over the last few weeks.

When asked about the longevity of anti-lockdown groups, Elise comments how pandemic-related narratives will likely subside over time, but in the long run we may be seeing more and more conspiracy theory motivated groups engaging in politics.

This episode is available on Apple Podcasts.

Elise Thomas is an OSINT Analyst at ISD, with a background in researching state-linked information operations, disinformation, conspiracy theories and the online dynamics of political movements.