Meet the man dubbed the 'Brantford Boomer' and how a viral moment is taking over his life

A St. Thomas, Ont., man photographed flashing two middle fingers outside a recent Mark Carney rally says he regrets the impulsive gesture, saying it's led to a wave of online abuse against his family and organizations he's been affiliated with.

The image of Matt Janes, a local Liberal campaign volunteer, was taken on Friday as the retiree and other Carney supporters stood in line to enter a meet-and-greet for the Liberal leader at a Brantford brewery.

The photo posted online last week went viral, with some commentors dubbing Janes the "Brantford Boomer." Amid a heated federal election campaign, posts and memes of the photo have racked up thousands of views on X, Facebook, and TikTok.

Speaking with CBC London Thursday, Janes rejected the nickname's implication and online suggestions his middle fingers were aimed at or symbolized apathy toward the concerns of younger Canadians, asserting the gesture was solely to the photographer and anti-Carney protesters.

"There was a bunch of them. They were yelling at the people in the lineup. They were calling us names," Janes said of the protesters, who were on the other side of the laneway, at least one holding an "F--k Carney" flag.

"They had a megaphone where they were yelling out conspiracy theories, and there were cameras everywhere. They were filming us. They were taking our pictures."

Videos posted to Facebook show one protester shouting an offensive comment about Carney's daughter and another describing RCMP members as "pedo protectors" and Carney supporters as "pedo lovers."

As Janes and others approached the entrance, someone filming on their phone came up to them, and he says he reacted in the moment.

"I gave the protesters the reaction they were looking for," he said, noting he is regretful of his actions.

Janes, a volunteer for David Goodwin, the Liberal candidate in Elgin–St. Thomas–London South, was quickly identified, and says he's since become a target of right-wing activists. Describing the past week as being "a week from hell," he said hundreds of comments forced him to delete his Facebook page.

Other organizations linked to him have also been targeted, including a local brewery where he was once the part owner and a community organization in St. Thomas where he volunteers.

Also being targeted online is a St. Thomas yarn store founded by his wife, but that she sold six years ago.

"We've been getting some comments and posts on our Facebook account. Also, reviews on our Google account, emails, and a few phone calls," said Jolyn Gardner, the owner of Little Red Mitten. "We are a small business just trying to do our work, and it's causing a lot of upheaval for no reason."

What these people want is to discourage active participation in the politics of our country.- Matt Janes

Things have continued to escalate over the course of the week as more people share the photo, Janes said.

"It's taken over my life. My wife is very upset as well, too," he said, adding she has become self-conscious about going out in public. The couple hopes things will die down after the election.

"What these people want is they want to discourage active participation in the politics of our country."

One reputation expert says such viral incidents have become more common with social media, affecting more non-public individuals and those with lower amounts of fame.

Suddenly being the focus of a viral incident can be traumatic, especially for something negative, said Matt Earle, president of Reputation.ca, a Toronto-based online reputation management firm.

"It's very hard to deal with mentally. Usually, it's quite unfair, and people are not really taking any time to learn anything about you," before posting their opinion online, he said.

Initial viral moments will fizzle out naturally, but Earle says the challenge comes in the leftover remnants that live on across the internet.

For non-public people who find themselves going viral, he says it's best to just put out a good statement online or to the media and to lie low.

Describing himself as being naive when the incident occurred, Janes said that if he were faced with a similar situation again, he would simply ignore those looking for a reaction.