Cafe owner puts up sign ‘banning’ masks

Michael Schneider says masks are a ‘government muzzle’ that do not prevent the spread of Covid-19.

A cafe owner has put up a poster saying customers wearing masks would be banned from entering his premises.

Michael Schneider, who runs the J Voke Vintage Tearoom in Chichester, West Sussex, says masks are a “government muzzle” which have no effect in preventing the spread of coronavirus.

The sign – entitled Con-A-Virus Notice Government Muzzles! – says: “Masks offer you ‘NO PROTECTION’ against a ‘VIRUS’.

“Will a chain link fence protect you against a mosquito? Well, will it?”

It also says that consenting to Government demands by wearing a mask will lead to “suppressing your immune system”, “reducing your oxygen intake”, “raising your cortisol level (stress hormone)”, “breathing back in your own carbon dioxide and bacteria (that your body is trying to expel)”.

It adds: “Turn off your Television and engage your brain before you spend the rest of your lives living on your knees… OWNED BY THE STATE!

“The reason you’re being ordered to stand two metres apart and wear a muzzle is nothing to do with a virus… it’s Applied Behavioural Psychology to ‘CONTROL YOU’.”

A notice on the floor says: “Stand here until you realise your government is brainwashing you! (You may be here sometime).”

Mr Schneider told metro.co.uk that he believed human rights were being taken away but he would not stop anyone from wearing a mask in his cafe – if they were doing it of their “own volition” and it made them feel safe.

He said his footfall had trebled since putting up the sign and added: “More people die in road traffic accidents than they do with Covid-19. What is the justification to bring the whole economy to its knees?”

A Sussex Police spokesman said that a community support officer had spoken to the proprietor of the cafe who confirmed he would not turn away people wearing masks.

The spokesman said: “In conversation he said that he wasn’t actually going to refuse entry to anybody wearing a face mask – he told the PCSO that it was just his belief that they shouldn’t be wearing them because he believed that Covid-19 was a fraud and didn’t exist.

“He was neither asked nor directed to remove the poster and we are not aware of any complaints from the public.”

A Chichester District Council spokeswoman said: “As a council, we have received some complaints about the face covering signage at J Voke Vintage Tearoom.

“We have passed these on to Sussex Police, as the agency responsible for face covering guidance, so that they can investigate this.”