Paul Martin, 60, is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with encouraging terrorism on a Telegram group entitled The Resistance UK and having weapons “for the purposes of terrorism”.
In 16,000 posts, Martin allegedly called for the use of explosives, “serious violence” and “disruption” to influence the UK government or intimidate the public between December 2020 and September 2021.
Opening his trial on Monday, prosecutor Julia Faure Walker said: “He was vehemently against the measures brought in by the then-government in response to the pandemic, including the lockdown and vaccine rollout.
“He believed the pandemic was fake and the vaccine was dangerous and designed to be so and the people needed to ‘wake up’ to what he believed.
“It was this ideological cause that drove the messages encouraging violence and other action.”
Ms Faure Walker said that rather than restricting himself to lawful protest, the defendant had repeatedly referred to “serious violence, criminal damage and disruption of electrical communication systems”.
In the Telegram messages, Martin also referred to his weapons and encouraged others to acquire and use them in attacks, the jury was told.
Two crossbows, arrows and blades were found when police visited his home in September 2021, the court heard.
The defendant allegedly had joined Telegram group The Resistance UK in December 2020 and his posts made up some 4% of messages to the 8,000 members, the court heard.
Ms Faure Walker said: “It follows, the posts he was making reached a very large audience.”
As the name suggested, at least some of the members resisted the lockdown and other measures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic, jurors were told.
Given its size, Ms Faure Walker said there was no way Martin could have known all the group members, or how susceptible they might be to his influence.
Martin, of Suffolk Road, Croydon, has admitted having a stun gun but denied the other two charges against him.
The Old Bailey trial continues.
