With only 11 days to go until Christmas, a major disaster has struck. If you’re currently standing up, you might want to sit down for this. Brace yourself.
They got the big guy.
That’s right: Santa Claus himself has been arrested by German police at a Christmas market.
NEW 🚨 German police arrests Santa Claus for not wearing a mask at Stralsund Christmas market
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) December 13, 2021
As reported by German news outlet TAG24:
“No mask at the Christmas market? Even when it comes to Santa Claus, that’s a no-go for the police in Stralsund.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, mask-wearing has been a feature of many public places. This also includes the Christmas markets in winter – when they are open. Apparently not everyone wants to adhere to the rules, as a Twitter video from Monday shows.
In a one-and-a-half minute clip, the whole world can witness an argument between Santa Claus and the police. At the Stralsund Christmas market, the man in the Santa costume made himself comfortable – apparently too comfortable in the eyes of the officers, because he did not adhere to the mask requirement.
The man addressed apparently saw himself as exempt from this. “I am Santa Claus”, he said several times. Since he vehemently refused to put on a mask, he was asked to identify himself. Because he did not comply with this request, the police cracked down on him. Without further ado, the troublemaker was taken away.
The police measure did not go down well with many bystanders. There were several boos and criticism: “Shame on yourselves, be ashamed of yourselves!” Could be heard several times.””
Du weißt du bist in Deutschland wenn der #Weihnachtsmann verhaftet wird, weil er keine Maske trägt. Draußen. Im Freien. Auf einem Weihnachtsmarkt. Mit 2G. Traurig. #Stralsund https://t.co/KQ33Cb7TbO
— Ulrike Schielke-Ziesing,MdB (@ulschzi) December 14, 2021
This is the same police force, mind you, who just this week were filmed going around the streets with rulers apparently measuring social distancing between people.
"EMBARRASSING": There has been much mockery on social media after German police were filmed going around the streets with rulers reportedly measuring social distancing between people.#gripthttps://t.co/ex75nhEsU5
— gript (@griptmedia) December 13, 2021
It’s good to know that Germany has so little actual crime to worry about, that the police are stuck twiddling their thumbs and getting up to harebrained antics like this.
While Germany has seen a drop in violent crimes in 2020, there was a marked rise in domestic abuse, child abuse, and homicide.https://t.co/KkvSuiq5II
— DW News (@dwnews) April 15, 2021
They’re some lads for soulless rule enforcement and granular minutiae. Some stereotypes are earned, it seems.
Now, I know you’re sick of hearing this pointed out, and believe me, I’m sick of saying it. But as always, we must remind ourselves that according to Irish data, only around 0.1% of Covid cases were contracted outdoors.
Outdoor transmission accounts for 0.1% of State’s Covid-19 cases: HPSC data based on locations which are primarily associated with outdoor activities https://t.co/IRllQVzjUJ
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) April 5, 2021
Of course it’s possible to catch Covid outside, but it’s vastly less likely when compared to indoors. And while Omicron is more infectious, it’s far less lethal. To date worldwide there has been a total of one death with the Omicron variant, and we have no idea if that person died because of Omicron or something else, how old they were, their comorbidities – etcetera.
BREAK: PM confirms first patient has died with the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
— Joe Pike (@joepike) December 13, 2021
Therefore, harassing people on the street corner for Covid-related reasons is completely unscientific and unreasonable.
I mean, sure this guy wasn’t specifically targeted for dressing like Santa. But the insistence that this whimsical costume include a mask in a setting where one is hardly necessary is tiresome to say the least.
Christmas is a time of joy and happiness. Most people associate Covid and its associated restrictions with fatigue and misery. Is it any wonder why a guy dressed as Santa Claus wouldn’t want to wear a mask over his costume?
All it would do is remind everyone of the gloom-fest that is this bloody pandemic, and the strong arm of the state that comes with it. It’s gross.
For the crime of trying to have a normal Christmas, and dress like a normal Santa at a normal Christmas market, this guy was dragged away forcibly by police. And this isn’t the first time Santa has been targeted by these measures.
I’m sure many people will remember that disturbing NHS ad from last year of Santa Claus fighting for his life in intensive care after contracting Covid.
NHS ad showing Santa ‘unconscious with coronavirus’ slammed for upsetting kidshttps://t.co/eBPdXzZDu7 pic.twitter.com/UfFd4cTU86
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) December 12, 2020
As if that wasn’t sick enough, there was the Tesco ad of Santa using his vaccine cert to enter the country.
Tesco Christmas ad: 1,500 complain over Santa with Covid vaccine passport https://t.co/i6OS7p8pc0
— The Guardian (@guardian) November 15, 2021
We even had NPHET’s wildly inaccurate predictions of how many people would be hospitalised with Covid by Christmas.
Hospital numbers: Down
ICU numbers: Down
Ireland is on course to have many fewer cases in December than NPHET's optimistic prediction.JOHN MCGUIRK writes: Holohan's hyper-caution is rendered a joke by his own figures:https://t.co/tJR5S8qhjQ
— gript (@griptmedia) December 14, 2021
These projections were never credible, and only served to increase fear and anxiety in the general population in the run up to what should be the most wonderful time of the year.
Christmas is a time for faith and innocence. It’s about God, family, gift-giving, childlike wonder and joy.
And yet Covid hysteria has consumed every area of our lives, to the point where even this sacred tradition isn’t safe. No reasonable exceptions can be made – like the Borg, all topics and events must be assimilated into the issue of Covid.
Honestly – can we quit trying to cram this government-driven depression-fest based on a respiratory pathogen down people’s throat? This war on normality and human happiness is completely twisted, and needs to stop.
For the love of all that is good and holy, lads, even if we’re not going to stop the Covid obsession overall, at least leave Christmas alone.