Conspiracy theorists ‘share far-fetched claims with kids at festival’

Covid anti-vaxxers and other highly controversial conspiracy theorists reportedly told children at village festival that some of the 21st century’s most horrific terror attacks were fake. 

Conspiracy theorists allegedly held talks at the Freedom Music Festival, in Netherfield, East Sussex, which saw them discussing their ideas at the show, billed as a family-friendly event. 

‘Headline’ acts, which included anti-vaxxer David Icke, reportedly told children terror atrocities like the 7/7 bombings in London and 9/11 attack in New York, were inside jobs by the government and that the killing of President John F Kennedy was a fake. 

While other speakers went as far as claiming the savage murder British soldier Fusilier Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death by Islamic extremists in 2013. was a hoax. 

Michael Manoel Chaves, who proudly boasts online about being one of the UK’s leading conspiracy theorists, led the talk on Fusilier Rigby’s murder, with The Times reporting he showed those in attendance gruesome blood splatter pictures while questioning the 25-year-old’s murder. 

In his ‘Mad Mix of Conspiracy Theories’ workshop, the anti-vax leader also reportedly showed photos of the aftermath of the Sandy Hook massacre in the US and 7/7 bombings, as he insisted those who died were killed by the government – before claiming others were ‘crisis actors’ – a conspiracy-theorist terms for people paid by the government to stage disasters.

The headline act of at the three-day festival, which ended on Sunday, was conspiracy theorist David Icke, who thinks the world is run by a cabal of alien lizards, added The Times. 

Also at the event was Australian anti-vaxxer Monica Smit, who staged lockdown protests in her home country. She was filmed talking to festival-goers about getting ‘cancelled’ from social media.

While elsewhere, the festival featured portraits of the likes of whistleblowers Edward Snowdon and Julian Assange, as well as War and Peace author Leo Tolstoy, with a provocative anti-establishment quote saying: ‘Governments, not only are not necessary, but are harmful and most highly immoral institutions.’ 

The weekend event was set up by Hope Sussex – and organisation run by former member of a far-right political group which was has been investigated by Ofsted for running an illegal school. 

Hope Sussex came under fire last week after it was revealed children at the school were taught how to wield a sword and fire a crossbow, while those in charge of the site allegedly told youngsters they were ‘at war’ with the state. 

The organisation insists it is not a school but ‘a community centre that hires its facilities to allow home-educating families to supplement their children’s education with wholesome and critically thinking tutors’. 

However, among the leaders of the group, based near Battle in East Sussex, is a former supporter of the far-right British National Party before being expelled, The Times said.

Schools watchdog Ofsted is investigating the group, which reportedly encourages parents to remove their children from mainstream state education.

Hope Sussex claimed teaching children how to fire crossbows was part of a history lesson – taught by William Coleshill, an anti-vax activist who was suspended from the Conservative Party for alleged racism and was part of a group of protesters who targeted Sir Keir Starmer outside parliament last year. 

As well as reportedly telling children the Twin Tower attacks was an inside job by the US government, the school also hosts a ‘science event’ talks by conspiracy theorists, with one, David Adleman, allegedly discussing the negative health impact of 5G – a theory debunked by scientists. 

Among the founders of the school includes Sadie Single, who was expelled from the BNP and who was reportedly linked by antifascist organisation Hope not Hate to a neo-Nazi group in her native Australia – a claim denied by Hope Sussex. 

Sadie was previously filmed during an anti-lockdown protest in March 2021.

While her husband Matthew Single, also a former BNP member, has been vocal in his opposition of the government.

‘They are coming for our children . . . We must be prepared to step outside of the comfort zone of simply protesting and demonstrating with placards and megaphones — we have our army in the field, now we must press forward with greater more specific action,’ he wrote in a blog. 

MailOnline has approached Hope Sussex for comment.