A coronavirus conspiracy leader has been dramatically arrested a day before anti-lockdown protests his group promoted were to hit Melbourne’s streets.
James Bartolo was detained at his Melbourne home on Friday morning after four policemen knocked down his door when he refused to open it.
The former bodybuilder was handcuffed on his lounge room floor in a struggle seconds after police broke inside.
He is expected to be the fifth protest organiser charged with incitement after a series of posts and videos on Thursday night.
Former bodybuilder James Bartolo is a key figure in conspiracy theory circles, holding talks on many subjects and organising followers. He has been arrested for incitement
Bartolo filmed the two detectives and two uniformed officers from his balcony as they arrived at his unit with a search warrant.
He told them they didn’t have authorisation to be on the property, despite the warrant stating they could enter by force if necessary.
‘You are illegally trespassing and you will be charged. If you break anything you will be prosecuted,’ he shouted at the officers.
However, the lead detective was in no mood to entertain Bartolo’s bizarre pseudo-legal beliefs that police don’t have power over him.
‘Open the door or I’ll force it, I’m not playing a game,’ he called out.
‘You’ve had all the opportunity in the world, James, are you going to come open the door, yes or no?’
Bartolo filmed the two detectives and two uniformed officers from his balcony as they arrived at his unit with a search warrant, and bashed down hs door when he wouldn’t open it
Bartolo ran downstairs as the banging at the door got louder, arriving just as police swarmed into his unit. He was then arrested in a struggle on his lounge room floor
Bartolo protested that he was on the toilet when the officers knocked on his door, and demanded they tell him what was going on.
He still refused as they tried to explain he was suspected of incitement, which he denied, saying he told people not to go to the protest.
‘Leave my s**t, don’t break my stuff you f**king r****ds,’ he yelled as police began to break down his door with a battering ram.
Bartolo ran downstairs as the banging at the door got louder, arriving just as police swarmed into his unit.
Officers yelled at him to get on the ground and put his hands behind his back as they grabbed and handcuffed him.
Bartolo runs the Conscious Truth Network group on Facebook which is a hub for a long list of conspiracy theories.
Planned ‘Freedom Day’ protests on Saturday are regularly discussed and promoted by Bartolo and his disciples on the group page.
James Bartolo, from Melbourne, launched Facebook group The Conscious Truth Network on June 1
The page reveals he believes the Moon landing was faked, vaccines are harmful, and laundry list of more than 20 other bizarre beliefs.
His frequent videos question whether coronavirus is infectious and call the pandemic a scam aimed at bringing about a cashless society.
Bartolo made headlines in July when he was pulled over at a lockdown checkpoint and argued with police for 20 minutes about the legality of the operation, using the infamous script.
He then claimed COVID-19 was not contagious and refused to hand over his licence.
Mr Bartolo went on to begin ranting about the officers’ role in facilitating the COVID-19 lockdown in Victoria.
‘Do you know the virus isn’t actually contagious?’ he asked. ‘That has been scientifically proven.
‘This whole COVID-19 is a f**king hoax. It’s a scam.’
Mr Bartolo runs The Conscious Truth Network, a hardcore conspiracy Facebook group that’s about page reveals he believes the Moon landing was faked, vaccines are harmful, and laundry list of more than 20 other bizarre beliefs
Bartolo has used the Conscious Truth Network to solicit donations and charge $50 for a seven-day course to transform them into ‘truth advocates’.
The week-long program teaches them how to make their own videos and become ‘voices of reason’ in their communities and online.
‘We are at war,’ he says, in a video posted in the group promoting his course.
‘So how are we going to win this? I’m just one person. That’s why I think it is so important to get as many people as people using their platform.’
‘That’s why I have created this confidence challenge. Don’t worry about the haters, there is no saving them.’
He also has a merchandise store selling hoodies, singlets and T-shirts emblazoned with the Conscious Truth Network name and logo.
Bartolo has called on his more than 3,800 followers to participate in a week-long program to learn how to make their own videos and become ‘voices of reason’ in their communities and online
Bartolo describes himself as a ‘truth seeker’ and ‘freedom fighter’ on his personal website that presents him as a near-messianic figure.
‘I have always known there was something terribly wrong with the world and from a very young age was certain I would have an impact in fixing this broken planet,’ it reads.
‘My personal mission is to help wake people up and the together we can serve justice to the corrupt, twisted and sick individuals, corporations and entities who have caused such massive harm to the people of this world.
‘After justice has been delivered, then we can focus on creating the world we are all happy to live in peacefully together.’