Dutch police break up anti-lockdown protest
Conspiracy theorists, skeptics could thrive
Lockdown skeptics — among them the conspiracy theorist "Querdenker" or "lateral thinkers" movement that organized several large maskless anti-lockdown rallies in German cities in 2020 — have been branded an extremist minority by most sides of the media and political spectrum.
But psychiatrist Grünewald believes these groups may gain popularity once again during a prolonged lockdown.
"So far in the pandemic, coronavirus-deniers were held in check by the alarming death toll. But now with more vaccinations, conspiracy theorists and deniers can become powerful forces again," he explained.
Practicing psychiatrist Jan Kalbitzer, an expert in stress medicine, believes that reconciliation with coronavirus deniers will be key going forward to build a united society in the next stage of the pandemic.