Freedom Rally in Bundaberg attracts crowd of 3000 against vaccine mandates

From retired businessmen to clergy, Bundaberg residents took their stand against impending vaccine mandates at the weekend.

Hans Jakobi says he has no problem with vaccines. In fact he says he has had several over the years.

The retired Bundaberg businessman turned anti vaccine-mandate advocate says his concern is the segregation in Queensland between the jabbed and unjabbed.

It’s something he terms “medical tyranny”.

Mr Jakobi helped organise and MC the freedom rally held in Bundaberg on Saturday, where a crowd of 3000 turned up to voice their concerns about incoming State Government legislation.

Once 80 per cent of Queenslanders are fully vaccinated, or on December 17 if that target is not reached, a range of new restrictions will be put in place which the government says will prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed as the country opens up and Covid begins to circulate more in the community.

Unvaccinated people will not be allowed to attend places including hospitality venues, cinemas, theme parks, sporting venues, state-owned galleries or libraries.

The State Government also notes that those who are not double vaccinated will not be allowed to attend tourism experiences such as reef excursions.

Events such as weddings will be capped if as many as one guest is not double vaccinated.

“The key thing is whether or not you’re jabbed; Australians don’t like the segregation or discrimination,” Mr Jakobi said.

“Australian people want to go about their lives without this nonsense.”

Mr Jakobi said his involvement in the movement was prompted by witnessing communism in Europe and his appreciation of democracy.

“I love this country,” he said.

“I hugely value our democracy.”

Mr Jakobi said many at the weekend rally were concerned about their jobs and businesses were concerned about how they’d continue to operate.

The anti-mandate movement is growing among Bundaberg’s business community, with a social media campaign in full swing.

Kristie Nash from the Humanity Unite Bundaberg group recently launched the Bundaberg and Surrounds Businesses who Welcome Jabbed and Unjabbed Facebook group to link up people who have lost jobs, need work or want to find businesses that will accept them as customers.

“The response to this initiative has been staggering, with over 7000 local Wide Bay people and more than 400 businesses registering since its inception, which led to the massive increase in protesters from the previous freedom rally in Buss Park two months earlier, which attracted around 300 people,” Ms Nash said.

Bundaberg man Jimmy Scaboo attended the rally on Saturday and said it was an emotional day for all involved.

“These were good honest people who have made the effort to stand up for freedom,” he said.

“The day was peaceful but emotions were high.

“Many have lost their livelihoods and now they know they are not alone in this fight against medical segregation.”

Mr Scaboo said a wellness expo that was held in conjunction with the rally was there to help support those in need.

Concerns in the community led Bundaberg Mayor Jack Dempsey to pen a letter to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at the weekend, where he called for a roadmap for what locals could expect once the state hit a 90 per cent vaccination rate.

Hans Jakobi at the Rally for Freedom on Saturday.

“I’m hoping the government will release a road map soon, showing a return to normal living and without segregation as far as safe and possible, when Queensland reaches 90 per cent double vaccination and as booster shots likely become necessary,” he wrote.

“Many of these (concerns) have come from small business owners, worried about compliance issues with checking vaccination status and managing staff who are unvaccinated.”

A question on the NewsMail Facebook page around whether people agreed with Cr Dempsey’s take attracted more than 100 comments.

Many said they didn’t want to wait until the state hit 90 per cent because they didn’t want the mandates at all.

Dharma Justine Christerson said she was concerned about new restrictions that would come into place preventing unvaccinated parents from attending the Queensland Children's Hospital or Ronald McDonald House.

“I have great concern in the impact of children who will be denied parents staying with them based on a vaccination status,” she said.

“There are a variety of reasons why parents have chosen or are unable to have the vaccine, understanding and compassion is a must on this topic.”

Even those who agreed the vaccine was the best way forward said the state‘s measures were too strong.

“Whilst I think, for health reasons, people should be vaccinated if they can, threats and coercion is not the way to go,” Catherine Zanella said. “Governments are meant to lead.

“Address clearly people's concerns, win their trust, and lead by example.”

Denise St John-Biggs said she believed people were being punished for not vaccinating.

“Don’t understand how a virus is more likely to spread in a hospitality venue, theme park or sporting arena than it is in a shopping centre or supermarket,” she said.

Restoration Centre senior pastor Tim Lunnon is one local who believes the government has lost touch with the incoming mandates.

Pastor Lunnon said in his line of work he’d witnessed effects on mental health and concerns for businesses.

He wants governments to consult stakeholders and have a “mature conversation” around addressing the issues that are being created in the process of fighting the pandemic.

One of the pastor’s biggest concerns is couples whose weddings plans are now in chaos, forced to choose between demanding their guests be double vaccinated or dropping their number of attendees to 20 - something he sees as a backwards step.

Pastor Lunnon said there were no rules preventing 100 people gathering for a picnic or numbers who could attend a funeral.

But weddings, he believes, are being hit far too hard.

“Why have we regressed, why is the number smaller again?” he said.

Pastor Lunnon said a whole network of businesses that service weddings were now in chaos, not knowing how many weddings could be changed, cancelled or lowered to smaller numbers amid growing uncertainty.

“I wonder how often our decision makers actually go door knocking from shop to shop and actually ask people how they're doing,” he said.

“It's really easy to sit at a distance and make decisions...”

Pastor Lunnon said the government was suffering a disconnect and urgently needed to consult with community members, businesses and to address overall mental health issues.

“People are battling,” he said.

One of the hardest hit by the pandemic are children who don’t yet have the maturity to cope, according to Pastor Lunnon.

“A huge big part of the problem is it's not just affecting adults, it’s affecting kids because everyone’s talking about it,” he said.

Pastor Lunnon said children were overhearing parents talk about job security and students were often discussing such issues at school.

While he said he understood the need to make decisions for the whole state, leaders had an obligation to serve the people.

“There’s a lot of grey areas,” he said.

“There’s a lot of unknowns.

“I think the fact they forget there’s real people. The mental health of our nation is not great and I think they miss this stuff when they just focus on the bigger picture being Covid.

“We’ve now created something else, well what are we going to do about that?”

Pastor Lunnon said he was grateful for churches being open to attendees and other freedoms, but believed the government needed to remember that people were not numbers.

“I think they’re missing the point that people are people,” he said.

Queensland Health was contacted for comment but a response was not received by deadline.