Cape Town residents took to the Sea Point promenade on September 18 in protest against the national vaccine rollout programme. The group globally labelled “anti-vaxxers” feel unfairly pressured to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, according to a participating member, the label is not fitting to their cause, or the message behind the gathering.
“We are not anti-vaxx. We stood together today against the forced mass vaccination of an experimental vaccine. It was about freedom of choice today,” the resident told Cape {town} Etc.
Read also: Anti-vaxxers picket outside Groote Schuur Hospital
The protest follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ‘family meeting’ which took place on on September 12. The president spent the duration of the address emphasising the importance of getting the jab.
Ramaphosa stressed that the sooner we are all vaccinated, the sooner sports stadiums can be opened, tourists can be welcomed, we can meet with friends and family, and return to offices and other places of work. By getting vaccinated, we will be able to return the economy to full operation and take pressure off the health care system, he said.
The president also touched on the notion of a ‘vaccine passport’ which will be issued to those who have been fully vaccinated.
Read also: Ramaphosa announces a return to lockdown level 2
Meanwhile, businesses, establishments and other departments are putting strict vaccine policies in place. While Ramaphosa has made it clear that getting the jab is not compulsory, many have made getting vaccinated mandatory in order to participate in certain fields, including university attendance.
Read also: UCT aiming to implement mandatory vaccination policy for staff and students
The following has been shared on social media:
Video footage of a young girl with a microphone, spreading her message into a large crowd, has been circulating on Instagram.
“It’s not a vaccine. We have rights! We don’t have to take this if we don’t want to. They are forcing this on our kids,” the young girl says.
Another video showcases the large group of protestors on the move, holding a “stop medical apartheid” banner.
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Social media reacts to UCT’s mandatory vaccination proposal, including petition
Pictures: Cape {town} Etc source