The rally where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. compared anti-vaxxers to Anne Frank during the Holocaust was supposedly attended by a prominent Marvel actress.
Evangeline Lilly, who portrays Hope van Dyne in the Ant-Man films, posted on Instagram Thursday that she attended a rally in Washington, D.C. on Sunday. In her post, she described how she believes in bodily autonomy, which she claims can be violated by vaccine mandates.
"I believe nobody should ever be forced to inject their body with anything, against their will," she posted. "This is not the way. This is not safe. This is not healthy. This is not love. I understand the world is in fear, but I don't believe that answer fear with force will fix our problems."
Lilly included several photos in her Instagram post from the rally. Protesters can be seen holding signs with slogans such as "Vaxxed Democrat for Medical Freedom," "Vioxx, Opioids and Vaccines All Have The Same Makers," and "Defeat the Mandates." The "Lost" actress did not name the rally, but the rally shown in her photos is seen to be at the Lincoln Memorial, where Kennedy spoke.
The anti-vaccine advocate was recently under fire for controversial and allegedly anti-Semitic remarks that he made at the rally.
"Even in Hitler Germany, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland. You could hide in an attic, like Anne Frank did," he said during a speech on Sunday. "I visited, in 1962, East Germany with my father and met people who had climbed the wall and escaped, so it was possible. Many died, true, but it was possible."
These comments were heavily scrutinized by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which released a statement condemning Kennedy and the rally.
"For survivors, the Holocaust is not "history,'" the museum stated. "These are not abstract tragedies to exploit to prove a point. They carry the painful memories of the brutal murder of a baby boy, the rape of a sister, the parents arrested and never seen again."
It is currently unknown whether or not Lilly herself is vaccinated. However, she is not the only Marvel actress who has been under fire for expressing anti-vaccine sentiment.
Black Panther star Letitia Wright was scrutinized for sharing a YouTube video that questioned the validity and origins of the COVID-19 vaccine. She responded to critics of her post at the time, saying, "if you don't conform to popular opinions. but ask questions and think for yourself....you get cancelled."
Newsweek reached out to Lilly's publicist and Marvel Studios for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
