Group rallies against vaccine mandate

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This article was published 02/09/2021 (1593 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Approximately 100 people in Brandon joined a nationwide protest against mandatory vaccinations in workplaces on Wednesday afternoon.

The protesters, some carrying signs reading “We support your right to choose” and “Why stop at vaccine mandates?” and few wearing masks, walked a route outside the Brandon Regional Health Centre and down Victoria Avenue.

Raquel Driedger, one of the organizers, said the march was in support of “medical freedom.”

“Where there is risk, there must be choices,” she said, referring to side-effects from vaccines.

“Vaccine injury is a real thing, not even the COVID vaccine. I’m talking all vaccines. And up until now, we’ve always had a choice.”

The protest came after the province announced provincial employees who work with vulnerable populations will be required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 31 or be tested regularly.

Provincial employees who work with children, in health care, teachers, educational support staff and Manitoba Justice employees fall under the mandate.

At the time, then-premier Brian Pallister said the move was to keep the health-care system safe during a potential fourth wave of COVID-19.

According to Manitoba Health, the vaccines for COVID-19 are very safe. Side-effects are possible, but they are most commonly mild and include fatigue, headache, muscle pain and chills.

“The science behind these vaccines is solid. They are safe, effective and built on technology that we know and understand,” the FAQ section of protectmb.ca reads.

The province also recommends young people get vaccinated to prevent serious illness.

The response to the protesters in Brandon was mixed. Many drivers honked in approval, while some gave the crowd a thumbs-down and one woman yelled “F—— psychos.”

A few hundred people also protested in Winnipeg near the Health Sciences Centre, according to the Winnipeg Free Press.

Driedger said she believes COVID-19 can be serious for many people, but people still shouldn’t be required to get the vaccine. She also said she believes Manitoba has too few intensive care unit beds available, as shown by hospitals filling up during the third wave of the virus.

“If we had enough ICUs for our population, that wouldn’t be a problem.”

Driedger said she was “flabbergasted” at the turnout for the event. She said the group was fighting for everyone’s rights, including the people who agree with the vaccine mandate.

“Brandon needs to wake up … our hope is we can wake people up.”

“If you’re vaccinated and your vaccine works, then why do I need to be vaccinated to protect you?” she asked, also adding she believes the risk of dying from COVID is low if people don’t have co-morbidities.

One man, who declined to give his name, said he didn’t agree with the mandate as alcohol also affects people’s health and can kill.

He also pointed to the fact 16 children have died of COVID-19 in Canada.

“The big rhetoric right now is ‘keep our kids safe,’ which is a noble cause, but it needs to be justified and 16 children over the course of a year and a half seems to be distortion and coercion to me.”

As of Aug. 31, a total of 26,932 people have died of the virus in Canada, according to Health Canada.

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine, go to protectmb.ca/qa.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @DrewMay_