Betoota Advocate faces backlash for sympathy for anti-lockdown ‘protesters’

Satirical news website Betoota Advocate is facing backlash for publishing two articles that seemingly defended the anti-lockdown protestors who clashed with police in Sydney’s CBD on Saturday in scenes that shocked Australia.

The website, known for its opposition to the Morrison government and the Murdoch press, was criticised by its predominantly left-leaning, millennial readers for its sympathetic take on the maskless thugs at the so-called ‘Freedom Rally’.

The articles, published on Saturday and Sunday, suggested the demonstrators weren’t anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorists but were in fact just ordinary western Sydneysiders expressing their dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Scott Morrison‘s handling of the Covid pandemic.

This is despite the fact hundreds of protesters carried placards with anti-vax slogans like ‘my body, my choice’ and ‘the media is the virus’ and spread conspiratorial nonsense when confronted by journalists.

Several high-profile figures have blasted the website for its questionable take on the protests, including Waleed Aly’s academic wife Dr Susan Carland and outspoken Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield.

‘Understandable distrust’: Satirical news website Betoota Advocate is facing backlash for publishing two articles that seemingly defended the anti-lockdown protestors who clashed with police in Sydney’s CBD on Saturday in scenes that shocked Australia

Saturday’s article, written by one of Betoota’s editors under the byline ‘Clancy Overell’, featured the headline, ‘Thousands March To Highlight Understandable Distrust of PM’s S**thouse Public Health Messages.’

The story, published on Instagram and the Betoota Advocate website, said the protests in Sydney and other cities ‘speaks to the bigger issue’ of the government’s botched vaccine rollout – which is ludicrous given the protestors are opposed to the vaccine to begin with.

The article went on to allege the government deliberately ‘generated fear and hesitancy’ around vaccines to ‘buy more time’ while waiting for them to arrive. 

Missing the mark: Betoota published another story on Sunday, this time trying to portray the lockdown protests as a symptom of class struggle

Criticism: Several high-profile figures have blasted the website for its questionable take on the protests, including Waleed Aly’s (left) academic wife Dr Susan Carland (right)

Not impressed: ‘Jeez guys, no,’ Dr Carland commented below the article on Instagram

This ignores the fact vaccine hesitancy is usually the product of misinformation spread on social media, not because of politicians or the press.

The article went on to characterise the protests as ‘a damning insight into how the government is being perceived by the people’ and suggested the Federal and NSW governments were ‘secretly cheering’ for a deadly super-spreader event in order to shift the blame onto everyday Aussies.

Betoota Advocate published another story on Sunday, this time trying to portray the lockdown protests as a symptom of class struggle.

The headline read, ‘”Stupid Bogans” To Blame For Yesterday, Not Lack Of JobKeeper Or Insufficient Supply Of Jabs.’

The article suggested the government was to blame for online radicalisation and that the protests wouldn’t have happened if there had been more vaccines and sufficient JobKeeper payments during the latest lockdowns.

But this simply doesn’t align with how many Freedom Day protesters view their decision to attend the marches, with a significant number holding placards saying they don’t want the vaccine at all.

Meanwhile, there were very few placards on show that addressed welfare payments. 

Furious: ‘What the f**k are you doing, Betoota?’ asked Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield (pictured)

Smart: Chatfield is an outspoken opponent of anti-vaxxers online

‘I’m really confused by this post? Who’s side are you on?’ Betoota Advocate’s bizarre take was roundly rejected by its readers, who blasted the articles in the comments section

‘Are you serious?’ Readers said they were ‘disappointed’ even wondered if the account had been hacked or if the usual editorial staff had been replaced for the weekend

Betoota Advocate’s bizarre take was roundly rejected by its readers, who blasted the articles in the comments section.

‘What the f**k are you doing, Betoota?’ asked Bachelor star Abbie Chatfield, who is an outspoken opponent of anti-vaxxers online.

Dr Susan Carland, the academic wife of TV host Waleed Aly, wrote: ‘Jeez guys, no.’

‘Why are you glorifying these flogs?’ one disappointed reader wrote, while another asked: ‘What the f**k is this headline?’

‘I’m really confused by this post. Whose side are you on?’ one person commented.

Another reader added: ‘But they weren’t protesting the lack of government support, they were complaining about having to wear masks.’

A third commented: ‘This is just an embarrassing take.’

Do the right thing: One comment said that all Australians get the same messaging from the government about Covid ‘but [the] majority of us aren’t out there flouting restrictions.’ Pictured: anti-lockdown protesters marching down George St in Sydney’s CBD on Saturday

One comment said that all Australians get the same messaging from the government about Covid ‘but [the] majority of us aren’t out there flouting restrictions.’

Other readers said they were ‘disappointed’ even wondered if the account had been hacked or if the usual editorial staff had been replaced for the weekend.

Betoota Advocate is a parody news website in the style of The Chaser, but also encompasses a podcast on the NOVA network and a beer brand, Betoota Bitter.

Its articles are not news, but instead offer a satirical take on current affairs.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NOVA for comment. 

Hitting back: Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday joined a chorus of politicians to rebuke the protesters across the nation, describing their actions as selfish and reckless

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk