A popular local Facebook page is under fire for its ‘toxic and dangerous’ posts. Lawyer, politician and Secretary-General of the GOOD party, Brett Heron, has met with the police to lodge a criminal case against the “Atlantic Seaboard Action Group” Facebook page.
Earlier this week, Facebook users on the page shared personal information of a Sea Point resident, Peter Wagenaar, who was feeding homeless people during the lockdown. Many were angered at Wegenaar’s actions as they believed the feeding scheme was not lawful. However, Herron contacted police leadership, who confirmed that the feeding scheme was lawful.
“Despite the lawfulness of this small act of kindness, and despite the strict measures taken by Peter Wagenaar, the resident, to ensure safe distribution of the food, residents on a community Facebook Group – Atlantic Seaboard Action Group – refused to accept this,” reads a statement from GOOD.
“In a toxic and shocking chain of posts by members of this Facebook Group a photo of Wagenaar and his wife was posted along with his name and address, a description of his car and the car registration number.”
In the early hours of this morning Wagenaar’s car was set alight, believed to be petrol bombed, and totally destroyed. This is nothing less than an act of vigilantism by a group of residents who do not accept that feeding hungry people who have no shelter and no food is not only lawful but is also an act of ordinary humanity,” reads the statement.
Today, May 8, Herron met with the Sea Point Station Commander to lay a criminal case against the Atlantic Seaboard Action Group” page.
“Just had a very good meeting with the Station Commander and made a criminal case about posts on the Facebook “Atlantic Seaboard Action Group” page,” Herron wrote in a Facebook post. “This follows the vigilante petrol bombing of the car, used by a resident to feed homeless people, in Mouille Point in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The posts on this group are toxic and dangerous. My complaint relates to posts about me.”
Picture: Facebook / Brett Heron Politics