Who Is Stand United?
The January 18th demonstration at Premier David Eby's constituency office is being organized by Stand United, one of the two organizations behind the campaign. The campaign's goals are to recall David Eby, repeal Bill 36 and elect a new premier.
Currently Stand United is the dominant antivaxx organization in the Lower Mainland. Locally it has organized at least 14 demonstrations and rallies since January 2022, as well as at least 5 convoys, one of which involved over 1,600 vehicles in preparation of the cross-country convoy and blockade of Ottawa in January and February. Working with local antivaxx groups it has also initiated or coordinated multiple demonstrations over the past year in other centres across Canada including Kamloops, Penticton, Nelson, Kelowna, Vernon, Tumbler Ridge, Hope, Kimberley, Fort St. John, Cranbrook, Prince George, Merritt, Ladysmith, Duncan, Nanaimo, Comox Valley, Invermere, Salmon Arm, Dawson Creek, Surrey, Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Okotoks, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Barrie, Sudbury, Peterborough, Etobicoke, Pembroke, Montreal, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Halifax, Bedford and St. John's.
Since the fall the organization's mobilizations have significantly dwindled in numbers, in large part due to the relaxation or withdrawal of Covid restrictions, leading to demonstrations of only one or two hundred hardy perennials. Despite this, its infrastructure and base of core supporters appear to remain intact, and are diversifying their areas of concern into topics that range far beyond Covid -- the UN, the World Economic Forum, the New World Order, digital ID, gun control, homophobia and other conspiracy-related issues.
Stand United's main organizers are a couple, Marcella Desjarlais and James Davison. Other key activists include Justin Gordon, Harm Bomm and Axel Verstraeten.
James Davison
A year ago Davison predicted civil war if vaccine mandates were not withdrawn. https://www.straight.com/covid-19-pandemic/living/bc-opponent-of-mrna-vaccines-predicts-civil-war-in-canada-if-he-and-his-fellow-patriots-cant He's a firearms enthusiast.
He also wants to hang treasonous politicians
He has not hesitated to frequently make his politics clear -- "It's time to rise." "The media is the fucking enemy." "The government is the biggest mafia in the fucking world. They want to squash us, they want to squash the middle class." "The Globalists are destroying our religion, our culture, our values." "Is there anything worth dying for in your life, because some of us might actually have to give our lives to protect the future of this country, to protect the future of our children, you know." "Russia is fighting [New World Order] no Rothschild bank, can't be controlled by cabal through central bank. This is why Trump like Putin did not want to stay the NWO, that's why 2021 stolen election."
Marcella Desjarlais
Desjarlais (aka Marcella Williams) was the Peoples' Party of Canada candidate in Burnaby South in 2021. She has supported conducting exemplary executions of journalists. https://www.straight.com/covid-19-pandemic/news/look-what-a-former-peoples-party-of-canada-candidate-posted-on-her-facebook-page She's also a follower of QAnon.
Marcella Williams, AKA Desjarlais, is a member of an anti-mask conspiracy group and her political run in Surrey-Cloverdale is promoted by them in turn.
— π π³π π± πΎπ½π π°π πΈπΎ (@TDubOntario) October 21, 2020
Admits following Q with her non-political account.@SurreyNowLeader @CloverdaleNews #surreycloverdale https://t.co/qqdDhHn0GS pic.twitter.com/nZ2JOKjZHF
She opposes the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (despite claiming to be of Metis origin herself) and supports Jair Bolsonaro. She has also been blunt in her Christian fundamentalist beliefs: "This world has lost it's grip of any form of morality and a has a serious lack of conscience. Even so, come Lord Jesus." "End times...but you already knew that, ya?"
Justin Gordon (aka Justin Cognito)
Gordon repeatedly organizes Stand United convoys. He has appeared on multiple occasions at anti-Trudeau pickets carrying a noose.
This is the second time this individual brought a noose to an event hosting Justin Trudeau, with bonus COVID disinformation. What will it take for @rcmpgrcpolice to take right-wing radicalization and extremism seriously? #canpoli #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/57bJW1pCJy
— Community Over Convoys (@COCVancouver) October 21, 2022
(These pics were taken six months apart, raising questions as to how often he changes his clothes.)
Wow so peaceful. You could hardly tell he was threatening the Prime Minister at the Liberal Fundraiser in Surry last night. #FluTruxClan pic.twitter.com/xPSzPY7c86
— Community Over Convoys (@COCVancouver) May 26, 2022
He has recently outed himself as an overt antisemite.
Harm Bomm
Bomm has participated in multiple demonstrations at media outlets under Stand United's slogan "The Media Is The Virus" and is seen here harassing the Abbotsford News. He is also an active homophobe who has organized picketing of the Drag Queen Story Time at the Surrey public library
23/ Convoy groups organized protests against Drag Queen Storytime events & abused people attending a library event. They held a transphobic protest at the Vancouver Pride Parade. Real grooming is getting hyped on hate memes & internet shitholes, then harming people in real life. pic.twitter.com/O2v5ipf6mC
— Community Over Convoys (@COCVancouver) November 22, 2022
and at Kits House in Vancouver.as part of a continent-wide campaign organized by the far right to oppose LGBTQ rights. https://pressprogress.ca/wave-of-far-right-protests-against-family-friendly-drag-queen-events-isnt-slowing-in-canada/
Axel Verstraeten
Verstraeten is also a homophobe.He jokes about throwing leftists out of helicopters.
He'd like to shoot up the UN
He's into QAnon as well
And sings songs at antivaxx rallies claiming "we're at war with an invisible empire."
Stand United has a significant social media presence, including a web site, a private Facebook group with 3,200 members and a public Facebook group with 4,800 members. Its individual leaders also have their own personal pages as well. And of course, like all the antivaxx groups Stand United offers a complete line of t-shirts and hoodies, starting at $25.00.