Anger as graffiti appears claiming there is ‘no coronavirus’

There were slogans among the graffiti including 'Covid = lies' and 'Hospitals are empty'.

‘Insensitive’ graffiti which has appeared in Devon with slogans denying the existence of coronavirus has caused anger.

The phrases ‘Covid = lies’ and ‘Hospitals are empty’ have appeared in Exeter’s Quayside area, causing upset among residents whose families are working on the frontline during the pandemic.

The pictures were taken by Alphington resident Aled Davies, who spotted at least 10 new graffiti vandalism spots all on the same Covid-denial theme while taking his daily exercise yesterday.

Retired operations manager Mr Davies said: ‘It’s insensitive, especially to people like myself who are an NHS family – my wife works at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, my daughter is a district nurse and even my granddaughter, who is only 17, is working at a care home where there is Covid-19.’

Latest figures show 147 deaths related to the coronavirus in Devon hospitals. It is feared there may be as many deaths in care homes and the wider community.

Mr Davies says he walks along the quayside daily and the vandals struck some time between Thursday and Friday.

He said: ‘All three of the historic millstones have been graffiti’d. There’s lots on the pavement walkways and some on the walls – at least 10 different places altogether.

‘I have a huge bug bear about graffiti but this has really got my back up.’

Mr Davies said Rougemont Castle is a ‘national treasure’ and the graffiti there is ruining the park: ‘I was the vice-chair of an Exeter tidy group and it makes me angry that we have to waste so much money cleaning it up.

‘But this is on a whole different level. I thought, ‘Hang on a minute – are people really dropping down to this level?’ with Covid-19. It’s just awful.’

Another slogan says ‘Covid = 1984’ in reference to George Orwell’s dystopian novel in which the country is ruled by an all-powerful party in a nightmare future where the public does not know the truth.

Conspiracy theorists who include climate science deniers, anti-5G protesters and Covid-19 deniers are spreading online disinformation to downplay the seriousness of the pandemic and push to end social distancing, according to new analysis.

Meanwhile police were called to an anti-5G protest in north Devon yesterday where campaigners were not complying with social distancing guidelines.

Protesters had planned to march from Barnstaple library to the nearby police and council offices, to deliver a letter outlining their objections to the mobile phone technology.

They claim the mobile phone technology is dangerous and has health implications, though these claims have been widely disputed.

However, tensions rose when police officers were called to the library after due to concerns about the group gathering and not following social distancing guildelines.

The protest was organised by a Facebook group called ‘5G Awareness Barnstaple North Devon’.

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