Novak Djokovic is the current number one ranked tennis player in the world, and has millions of twitter followers who hang on every word he says. So when he showed up in early January for the Australian Open—one of four major world tennis tournaments—unvaccinated, this was a shameful action that did a great deal of harm to the people of the world. He should really be called Novax “The Joker” vic!
Bob Avakian called this type of behavior out when he wrote:
If you are someone who influences people, and you don’t know the scientific truth about COVID vaccines—how they are crucial for saving lives and dealing with this pandemic—the least you can do is not spread dangerous disinformation about this. Just shut up about vaccines until you get real scientific knowledge about this.1
Look what is going on just in his home country of Serbia, which has a high infection and low vaccination rates. Serbian journalist Marija Vučić said, "Djokovic is a national symbol here. In a way he's a symbol of Serbianhood." As for what was going on in Australia with Djokovic, Vučić says this is
giving rise to multiple streams of misinformation…Those people, who are already anti-vaxxers, are now even more anti-vax in their beliefs. Not only do they believe vaccines are unnecessary, or even dangerous, because the best sportsman in the world won't receive any, but now they believe even more that this is some kind of devilish work of globalist structures trying to make us receive the vaccine against our will.2
Because of his long standing anti-vax position, he is supported by the fascist anti-vax movement, where he has been called a “hero” and a “political prisoner” with people carrying protest signs like “Free Novax.” Djokovic has failed to disavow their support, which objectively puts him in their camp.
Djokovic is anti-science. His anti-vax stand puts him in that category. But to make this clearer, here is what he had to say about people being able to change the composition of food with their minds:
I know some people that, through energetical transformation, through the power of prayer, through the power of gratitude, they managed to turn the most toxic food, or maybe most polluted water into the most healing water, because water reacts. Scientists have proven that in experiment, that molecules in the water react to our emotions to what has been said.
In response to that incredible statement, former tennis player and current commentator, Mary Carillo called Djokovic’s statement as “dangerous” and “disturbing,” and tennis writer Ben Rothenberg said that this “pseudoscience” was garnering hundreds of thousands of views because of the world champion’s far-reaching platform.3
Since the start of the COVID pandemic in early 2020, Djokovic has been one of the high-profile athletes at the center of the anti-vax movement. In April 2020, well before COVID vaccines were available, Djokovic said he was "opposed to vaccination." In June 2020 Djokovic organized a tournament in Serbia, his home country. At the tournament, no one wore masks, there was no social distancing, and players were partying together in crowded scenes. The tournament was a disaster with most players getting infected with COVID. So, from the get-go of the pandemic Djokovic became the first sports vaccination villain by promoting objection to a vaccine, refusing to wear a mask, and failing to social distance.
Djokovic was ultimately deported from Australia because of his failure to be vaccinated and for lying about the dates when he was infected with COVID during December 2021. Further during that time, Novax held meetings with people, including 25 children, knowing he was infected, maskless, and failing to social distance, again, risking the health and even the lives of the people he came in contact with.
As an influencer of millions who will take his word to not be vaccinated, Novax is doing great harm to the people of the world who could die from COVID if they are not vaccinated. 5.5 million people worldwide and 865,000 in this country have died from COVID so far, and the pandemic continues, with the new variants developing. Those “celebrities” like Novax “The Joker”vic who are refusing to be vaccinated and influencing others to do the same will cause the deaths of many, many more. This is a horrific situation for the world and should not be tolerated.
* The Joker is a fictional character in DC Comics. He is Batman’s nemesis, a supervillain, and just a bad guy.
