In July 2023, activists reportedly placed numerous wheelchairs in central Berlin with portraits of those who had suffered serious complications due to COVID-19 vaccinations. We decided to check if this is true.

On social networks and blogs, the event is described as follows: “When Big Pharma gave the order to inject with what they had, no one said no.” As a result, hundreds of victims appeared both on the other side of the ocean and in Europe, which refused Russia’s help. But they couldn’t hush up the facts for long. As soon as the darkness subsided, the victims’ relatives spoke up. And now, as the Germans say, the “Cripples Vaccination” event took place in front of the building of the German Bundestag. The victims and their loved ones reminded of themselves by displaying wheelchairs with photographs of those who failed the test of foreign drugs. Most of the victims are paralyzed. Unfortunately, the investigation began only after the fact, and no one paid attention to the warnings of experts before mass vaccination. Now the truth is even published in the Lancet (probably referring to the publication in this journal of a study on deaths caused by COVID-19 vaccines; this statement is “Verified” sorted it out previously. — Approx. ed.)". Such publications appeared in Facebook*, Instagram*, Twitter, TikTok and on YouTube. They wrote about the action and the media, for example, “Constantinople", NewsFrol And "Mriya News». This story also spread widely on Telegram - for example, the channels “Russia now"(325,000 views at the time of writing this analysis), "Putin on Telegram"(194,000), Voblya (156,000), "Bullet" (142,000), "From the scene"(81,000), etc.

On July 4, 2023, hundreds of wheelchairs and walkers were actually placed in front of the Bundestag building with black and white photographs and short captions under them. Many German media reported on this action, including Berliner Zeitung, ZDF And Tag24. However, in their materials, these media told a completely different story.

The organizers of the action are the NichtGenesen movement, whose name can be translated from German as “not cured” or “not recovered.” Activists explain: “The lawn contains hundreds of wheelchairs and walkers, as well as portraits of victims from all over Germany. These photographs represent millions of patients who cannot come to the protest themselves due to their illnesses.”

One of the authors of the initiative is assistant social educator from Lower Saxony, Ilka Heuer. She explains that the purpose of the action is to draw the attention of officials to the problem of those who had coronavirus and did not recover, and are now suffering from the consequences post-Covid syndrome, similar to myalgic encephalomyelitis, otherwise called chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), as well as from various complications arising from medications for coronavirus or vaccination. In a commentary by Berliner Zeitung Heuer told, how I got sick with COVID-19 in December 2021: “The illness itself was tolerable: I briefly lost my sense of smell and taste, but that’s all. The disaster happened two weeks later. It's like someone unplugged me. <…> I always compare this (my condition. - Ed.) with a faulty battery that can only be charged to 30%, no matter how long it is on charge.” Organizers of the event pursued two goals: to attract the attention of officials and convince them to allocate funding for research into these diseases, and also to support the study and clinical trials of a drug under the working title BC 007, which has already shown first results in overcoming the negative symptoms of post-Covid and ME/CFS.

Both post-Covid syndrome and ME/CFS are insufficiently studied diseases, the nature of which is not fully known, No yet an effective medicine. These pathologies are not always separated. For example, an authoritative medical encyclopedia MSD Manuals mentions previous COVID-19 as a possible cause of ME/CFS and includes all post-Covid syndrome under chronic fatigue syndrome. IN scientific magazines scientists Also allowBoth post-Covid and ME/CFS are the same pathology of the nervous system that occurs after it is damaged by a viral agent. The range of symptoms and disorders in both cases is extremely wide: the patient complains of fatigue that comes on unreasonably quickly and does not go away after rest, sleep and cognitive dysfunction, headaches, pain in muscles and joints, and flu-like symptoms. Reliable information about ME/CFS knownthat this is not a psychological problem, but a physiological pathology: in the blood of patients, scientists from Stanford University (USA) discovered high concentration of 17 proteins associated with the development of inflammatory reactions. By data MEAсtion, a charitable non-profit organization dedicated to education about ME/CFS, estimates that between 15 and 30 million people worldwide suffer from this disease, up to 75% of those affected are unable to work fully, and 25% of them are bedridden.

The action held at the Bundestag is not the first one designed to draw attention to the problem of ME/CFS patients. Since 2016 in UK, USA, Canada Similar events are being held - activists display hundreds of pairs of shoes in public places and hang up posters with the text “Millions are missing.” Resource “My friend, you are a transformer” describes Edinburgh promotion 2018: "Brown worn men's boots, to which their owner attached a note: "James. Had to quit my job due to ME. Now I'm sitting at home and writing for the newspaper." Red sneakers. “My beloved daughter has been living with ME since she was 14 years old. She had to leave school. The last doctor we asked for help said: “Well, maybe there is some charity foundation that will help.” Pink Birkenstocks with glitter thrown in the middle of the square without any explanation. Gray women's sandals, UK size 4, with a flower motif on the strap. “My name is Fiona. I’m 38. I’ve had ME for 29 years, since I was nine. I was bullied, they didn’t believe me and they told me that I just didn’t want to go to school. Nobody tried to help me. Even now, years later, I still don’t receive support. I am ignored by those who should have helped me (doctors, etc.). My mother is looking after me. I couldn't have done it on my own. I am one of the millions of people who have disappeared."

The action at the Bundestag differs from previous ones in that attracts attention to three groups of patients at once: those who have recovered from coronavirus and are faced with post-Covid syndrome, those who are sick with ME/CFS, as well as those who have suffered from post-vaccination syndrome. At the same time, the NichtGenesen press release separately states the position of the organizers of the action regarding vaccination: “We especially note that the mention of post-vaccination syndrome does not represent our position for or against vaccination against coronavirus. We make sure that all people with health problems receive care, regardless of whether symptoms are caused by an infection (post-vaccination or not), vaccination, or other triggers. We strongly oppose the exploitation of the suffering of victims of post-vaccination syndrome for other interests.”

Thus, there is serious manipulation in most social media posts. The action did take place, but it was not dedicated to victims of vaccination, but to those who suffer from post-Covid syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as post-vaccination syndrome. The purpose of the action is not to draw attention to the dangers of vaccines, but to draw the attention of officials to the insufficient funding allocated for the study of these pathologies and treatment of victims.

Cover image: Berliner Zeitung

*Russian authorities think Meta Platforms Inc., which owns the social networks Facebook and Instagram, is an extremist organization; its activities in Russia are prohibited.