By Charlotte Webster-
Members of the public queuing up to get their booster jab at a council covid testing stall in Croydon were bullied and intimidated by protesters against the vaccine, who blocked and obstructed the streets in South London, leading to the occasional heated confronted between some of the protesters and members of the public.
The organiser of the protest was a rapper called Remeece – real name Edward Freeman, who installed a three-foot tall sound system that blasted out his conspiracy rap, Don’t Tek Di Vaccine on repeat. A music video along side featured well known anti-vaxer- Piers Corbyn, who is the brother of former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
In chaotic scenes, a covid testing stall was vandalised and ordinary members of the public queuing for their vaccines were intimidated and threatened.
Protesters entitled their march “Don’t Tek Di Vaccine” saw just over 100 people gather outside Boxpark next to East Croydon Station, then walking towards the Whitgift Shopping Centre and on towards Streatham, was the near-complete absence of any police presence.
The protesters distributed covid testing kits and were abusive to some of those staffing the stall, as insults were exchanged over their differing views about the vaccine.
Progressing to the Whitgift Centre, protesters engaged shoppers and staff in discussions about the vaccine and the whole topic about the vaccine, with tempers sometimes flying high whenever some passers by expressed strong distaste for the protesters. Some random members of the public joined the protest, but others just watched them
People queuing outside a chemists’ shop on London Road to receive their covid booster jab were forced to endure unfavourable comments which the protesters wanted them to hear.
Conversations, debates, and arguments all seemed to occur at various stages of the march between boisterous members of the group and members of the public who have different takes on the vaccine, and what they make of them. They make claims that the vaccine has the ability to damage the reproductive organs of women.
One lady queuing up for her booster jab shouted ”you are a bunch of selfish idiots” to the group as they marched past, leading to one of the protesters responding: ”you are the idiot taking a vaccine that could mean no more children for your daughter or granddaughter, as the man looked searchingly at the two young looking girls standing with her, who looked in their early 20’s. ‘Ive got two children and don’t want any more, and you are talking a lot of bull, one of the ladies responded.
Two animated women and a man then marched up to her to press their point before another member of the public forcefully intervened by telling the protesters to just go away and let them be.
After a few hours of confrontation between protesters and members of the public at various junctures of the protest, two police vans appeared to provide some much needed calm to the storm that was getting out of hand.
The groups are reportedly funded and supported by various far-right groups, including Steve Bannon- a former adviser and supporter of former U.S presidernt, Donald Trump.
Bannon appeared in court on Monday charged with contempt of Congress, in relation to the investigation of the deadly Capitol attack. Bannon did not enter a plea, and the brief hearing determined that he be arraigned on Thursday. He was released after being ordered to surrender his passport, report once a week to pre-trial services and report travel plans.
A music site, “Jam for Freedom”, which promotes Remeece’s work, has received endorsements from Steve Bannon, who has been indicted for his role in the Capitol Hill insurrection and is now subject to FBI questioning.
The vaccination and the booster jab, both of which are said to haver been brought in to reduce the spread of infections, and death rates arising from covid -19 has been a very divisive topic, stirring emotions on both sides of the divide. Protesters who attend marches like this are either extreme anti-vaxxers, or sometimes genuine individuals concerned about the theories they hear, and how true they are.
Many of the protesters who took part in the weekend march were stressing their view that many people have died from the vaccine, and that the media was not reporting the facts.
Only a small percentage of people are known to have actually died from the vaccine- mainly the Astrazenica- and an insignificant number of people have reported allergic reactions, including illness for a few days.
Distrust about the true statistics of covid deaths was one of the issues raised by some of the protesters, a concern also expressed by many ordinary members of the public spoken to by this publication during research. Covid related deaths registered on death certificates has not gone down well with family members of the deceased, many of which have veered in the direction of anti-vaxxers, despite the registration process being to reflect the virus were it triggered the death of people who were already ill of another disease.
Sceptics of the vaccine claim there is a sinister motive for the push of vaccinations, which many of them say is connected with a mission to control the world, reduce world population, and institute a one world government, but the reality of covid as a killer makes those claims questionable.
The full credibility of Covid-19 deaths has been an issue for many simply due to the way they are recorded. Deaths that are accelerated due to a terminal illness triggered by Covid-19 is seen to be related to the virus, but disagreement about this has strengthened the rebellion of anti-vaxers and conspiracy theorists.