“No vaccines, shove the poison!” chanted the large crowd of about 200 people that gathered outside Meadowdale Mall in Edenvale, East of Johannesburg, on the partly cloudy morning on Saturday, to march against what they called “medical apartheid” which they said was caused by government.
The protest is an initiative of the World Wide Rally for Freedom, an international movement that is dedicated to fight against Covid-19 related restrictions and vaccination in its member countries. The organisation said the protest was a call for freedom of speech, choice, assembly and health.
The Covid-19 vaccine rejectionists walked on the sidewalks of Van Riebeek Avenue waving their placards up in the air to allow those who care to read an opportunity to do so. Children as young as seven years of age were among those whose placards read “no vaccine will enter my body”.
Members of the organisation said they were tired of being oppressed by the state and they should not be forced into taking the vaccine. While they walked up the road, various motorist hooted showing solidarity with the crowd.
“We are united together as the people in our diversity and we are saying enough is enough. This lockdown has been completely illegal, there are alternative treatments (for Covid-19) but they sold us fear instead of telling us about sunshine and natural immunity,” said Daryl Hardy, a member of Hope 4 Humanity, who was coordinating the walk.
According to Hardy, the purpose of the 4km long march was to demonstrate and inform the public of the tyranny and the fear that is instilled by the government to force people to vaccinate.
“We want to reveal the truth (about the vaccines). There have been illegal experiments in Tembisa where they have injected children and now these children have adverse effects and their parents were not consulted. It’s completely illegal to inject people with stuff that they don’t know what it contains. This vaccine was not properly tested,” Hardly stressed.
Among the crowds was 36-year-old Nothando Gumede who wore a white shirt that read “my body, my choice” with a syringe crossed over the words that said she does not associate with the term “anti-vaxxer” as it was created to force people to vaccinate in fear of being excluded from society.
”What I am is someone who stands for freedom of choice, so I must have a choice to either have (the vaccine) or not have it. But you then can’t go into a space where you start forcing or you start infringing on my freedom. My freedom is not granted by government, I have rights as a person. I have a right to decline something,” she said.
Meanwhile, 40-year-old Kerry Parsons whose placard read “corrupt fat cats love obedient sheep” said the government will not admit that the ongoing vaccination programme is nothing but an experimental trial and that they are financially benefiting from the so called experiment.
“(Clause) 5.5.5 of Pfizer’s contract with the South African government says this is an experimental vaccine and it has not undergone long term trials, therefore, this means that whoever is taking the vaccines is agreeing to be part of an experiment and the manufacturer is not liable for the side effects or death caused by it. I’m not anti-vaccine but anti-experimental vaccine being forced on me and my children, that is just wrong. How can you put a drug that is not tested in a child?”
While marching peacefully, the protestors neither wore masks nor observed any other Covid-19 protocols. Gumede said she only wore a mask in public places such as supermarkets, because they say it’s mandatory and you cannot gain entry without it.
Raam Naicker, one of the coordinators, said he sees no need to wear a mask despite believing that the virus does indeed exist. He further said, he has had Covid-19 but he is asymptotic, therefore, he cannot transmit the virus.
“I have had it (Covid-19) and I recovered. I don’t think it is as bad as they say it is, it is just like a common flu. Also, you can’t say that people who are healthy must mask up, it’s madness.”
The protest in Edenvale was one of five protests that took place across the country yesterday. Gauteng was leading with two protests, while three of these took place in George, Durban and Cape Town.
Sunday Independent