Parents furious after Covid anti-vaccine activist targets Byron Bay High students

An anti-vaccine activist has infuriated parents after targeting kids at a NSW school to try to “change minds” about Covid vaccination.

Failed Byron Bay mayoral candidate and anti-vaccine activist Tom Barnett has been blasted by parents and community members who accuse him of harassing students out the front of Byron Bay High School with anti-vaccine propaganda.

On Thursday morning, Mr Barnett parked a protest van emblazoned with “Teens are not medical experiments” out the front of Byron Bay High and approached students with the intent of ‘changing minds’ on the issue of Covid vaccinations.

Tom Barnett's live Facebook video of him outside Byron Bay High asked students to change their mind about the Covid vaccine. Source: Facebook

A screenshot from Tom Barnett's live Facebook video of his protest van outside Byron Bay High. Source: Facebook

Mr Barnett live streamed “we are here doing a little change of mind and just waiting for the kids to come. We have got the jab is not safe.

“We are here to change some minds and talk to some of the youth of the shire. Teens ae not medical experiments,” he said pointing to a placard.

“The jab itself is not safe … Youth can be very vulnerable to public pressure,” he said.

The live post caused a storm of criticism from parents and community leaders.

“‘Leave the kids alone’ yet there you are trying to influence them, isn’t that a tad hypocritical?” posted local dad Luke Jolly.

Mr Jolly, who has two children at the high school, said he was angry kids were targeted.

“I think schools are a safe zone, or sacred, it’s not the place to push a political agenda onto other people’s children, ever, about any subject,” Mr Jolly said.

“I’m still upset about it, he did a live video and was pointing about talking to the kids. He was saying kids are not an experiment, but they are not a political tool either, it was absolutely not his place to be doing that,” Mr Jolly said.

Tom Barnett is running for mayor in the upcoming Byron shire council elections, but he’s not on the ballot. Source: Instagram

A screenshot from Tom Barnett's live Facebook video of his protest van outside Byron Bay High. Source: Facebook

Local Kirra Pendergast from Safe on Social said Mr Barnett’s action was inappropriate.

“Schools are a no go zone, it was such a poor zone as kids were in the middle of their HSC. People have a right to their own opinion but kids being approached, no,” she said.

“Just stay away from the children, it’s not OK, they are already traumatised by lockdowns without that,” she said.

North Coast Area Health Service had planned a visit from the Vax Bus, a mobile unit offering Covid vaccines to students who had parental permission notes.

Wayne Jones, Chief Executive Northern NSW Local Health District said: “We urge people to use trusted and credible sources of information to inform them about Covid-19 vaccinations and developments.”

Tom Barnett is suing the NSW Electoral Commision for rejecting his nomination for mayor. Source: Instagram

Mr Barnett was running for mayor in the upcoming December 4 council elections but his application was rejected by the NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) due to ‘a small mistake’ on Mr Barnett’s application.

“The NSW Electoral Commission created an illusion that they adhere to a democratic process. But their decision to reject my nomination is based on incompetence,” he said in a statement.

He has announced he plans to sue the NSWEC as a result and is pushing on with his election campaign despite not being on the actual ballot.

Nicqui Yazdi, who runs pro-vaccine group Mullumbimby Flattening the Curve said targeting teenagers was wrong.

“It was disgusting, targeting teenagers with misinformation, and it wasn’t his place to do so, with cameras as well,” she said.

“When you purposely target teenagers outside a school with what is propaganda, that is a whole other level of wrong,” Ms Yazdi said.

Questions were put to Mr Barnett but a member of his team responded: “As Tom is running for Byron Mayor he is unfortunately too busy now to respond to emails and questions personally.”

Originally published as Parents furious after Covid anti-vaccine activist targets Byron Bay High students