Byron Council votes to let anti-vaxxers use public venues
A PUSH to ban anti-vaxxer propaganda films and appearances in council-owned venues has been thrown out by Byron Council and its Greens mayor.
NSW
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A PUSH to ban anti-vaxxer propaganda films and appearances in council-owned venues has been thrown out by Byron Council and its Greens mayor.
Councillor Paul Spooner moved that council prohibit publicly-owned venues such as the Civic Hall being booked by the Australian Vaccination-sceptics Network to air films like Vaxxed and host anti-vaxxers like David ‘Avocado’ Wolfe.
Recently, the AVsN hired the council-owned venue to air the anti-human papillomavirus vaccine film Sacrificial Virgins, which has been panned by medical experts for scaremongering and ignoring facts.
The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission has an official warning about the misinformation spread by the AVsN in place since 2014.
“With our extremely low vaccination rates in our area, it’s a health concern. I caught whooping cough from my grandson and it was really distressing to see him with it,” Cr Spooner said.
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Local and member of the Northern Rivers Vaccination Supporters group Heidi Robertson said: “Council is facilitating the AVsN providing venues for these dangerous views.”
But only three councillors supported the move.
The other six, including Greens mayor Simon Richardson, voted against the motion. Mr Richardson said the community did not shy away from having difficult discussions.
Councillor Jeannette Martin, who has publicly endorsed films like Vaxxed — a conspiracy film by disgraced and struck-off doctor Andrew Wakefield — questioned the motives of “Big Pharma” and claimed vaccines were full of toxins and heavy metals.
The public gallery applauded the motion’s defeat.
“I’m really disappointed but we are not going to give up the fight to correct misinformation and protect the vulnerable,” Ms Robertson said.
Originally published as Byron Council votes to let anti-vaxxers use public venues
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