Conspiracy theorist James Bartolo claims Australian floods are ‘government weather warfare attack’

Conspiracy theorists have claimed the floods devastating Australia’s east coast are part of a ‘government weather warfare attack’.

James Bartolo, a prominent former Melbourne anti-lockdown activist and Covid denier, promoted the bizarre, false explanation on his Facebook page.

‘The Gold Coast and surrounds is currently under a government weather warfare attack,’ he told his army of devoted followers.

‘If you also know this, comment on your awareness of unnatural weather below. The more people who know about this bulls**t the better.’

Mr Bartolo moved to the Gold Coast in November 2020 after he was charged with incitement for organising illegal protests during Melbourne’s lockdown.

The unsubstantiated claims have been spreading at a concerning rate on social media, with thousands seemingly convinced the record rain in northern NSW and Queensland are a ‘man made’ phenomenon. 

A dangerous and bizarre conspiracy theory is circulating that the devastating floods which have torn through Australia’s east coast are part of a ‘government weather warfare attack’. Pictured: Local resident inspects floodwater in her street on March 31, 2022 in Lismore, NSW

Pictured: Debris from flood-damaged homes piles up in Lismore, NSW, Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Conspiracy theorist James Bartolo (pictured) claims Australia’s east coast are part of a ‘government weather warfare attack’

Mr Bartolo, a former bodybuilder who claims to be an army veteran, also promotes a range of other unhinged conspiracies including that vaccines and 5G are weapons, the world is flat, space is fake, the government is run by freemasons, and that the water supply is being poisoned. 

Hundreds replied to his post with comments claiming ‘the government’ was using experimental technology to carry out ‘cloud seeding’ – a weather modification process that theoretically alters the microphysical state of clouds, causing rain.

‘I have known for years they have been using this technology!’ one follower wrote.

Another added: ‘Absolutely nothing natural about the rainfall in the past 5 months. It’s obvious when viewed on the radar.’

‘Cloud seeding is being used to increase rainfall by corrupt governments to act on mother nature. Another weapon used to flood everyone,’ a third wrote.

Pictured: Large parts of Lismore in NSW are completely underwater after record rainfall

Hundreds replied to the post with messages claiming ‘the government’ is using experimental technology to carry out ‘cloud seeding’. Pictured: Homes inundated by floodwater in Lismore, NSW

James Bartolo (pictured) is a former bodybuilder who promotes a range of bizarre conspiracies

Mr Bartolo’s followers claimed aircraft leaving ‘chemtrails’ in the sky across NSW is how the cloud seeding process is being administered.

One user even claimed that planes about 1,200km away from the epicenter of the floods might be to blame.

‘I’ve been in Wagga Wagga for the last four days and the amount of chemtrails in the sky above the Riverina region is beyond comprehension,’ the person commented.

Others pointed to terms used in media coverage as proof the floods were part of an ‘attack’ and not natural.

‘It is very obvious. The language they are using such as “rain bombs” is clear enough for me,’ a commenter said.

The term ‘rain bomb’ was coined by Daily Mail Australia in 2017 to describe sudden and intense rainstorms, and has since been picked up by politicians and even the Bureau of Meteorology.

Conspiracy theorists claim the motive for ‘elites’ carrying out a ‘weather attack’, which have seen communities around Byron Bay and Lismore underwater is to move people into ‘smart cities’. Pictured: Local residents wade through floodwater in Lismore, NSW

Conspiracy theorists claim the motive for ‘elites’ carrying out a ‘weather attack’, which submerged communities around Byron Bay and Lismore, was to move people into ‘smart cities’.

‘Surprisingly, they have talked about cloud seeding and weather manipulation on the mainstream media so it’s coming from multiple sources now. Question is why?’ one wrote.

‘Moving people into so-called ‘smart cities’ is likely, I think, considering the World Economic Forum openly talks about these things.

‘Could also be the start of the universal basic income scheme for the displaced victims of this tyranny?’

Pictured: Military vehicles move through Lismore, NSW, with much of town now underwater

James Bartolo (pictured) says the weather event is ‘not natural’ and created by the government

Bartolo’s move to Gold Coast came after getting arrested in a dramatic police raid in Melbourne in September 2020. 

Four police officers knocked down the former bodybuilder’s door when he refused to open it, claiming they didn’t have authorisation to be on the property.

Bartolo was handcuffed on his lounge room floor in a struggle seconds after the police broke inside.

He was charged with incitement for allegedly encouraging his social media followers to attend an illegal rally.