Thousands protest vaccine mandates in Sydney’s Hyde Park and across Australia

Thousands have turned out to protest Covid vaccine mandates in Sydney’s Hyde Park and in 30 cities and towns across Australia.

Thousands of protesters flooded Sydney’s CBD on Saturday rallying against Covid vaccine mandates.

The Millions March Against Mandatory Vaccination group organised rallies in 30 cities and towns across Australia, including Sydney, where Health Minister Brad Hazzard granted exemptions to unvaccinated protesters to rally in Hyde Park from 12pm.

A festival stage was erected in front of St Mary’s Cathedral where a heaving crowd or more than a thousand people gathered for anti-vax music and chants, and to listen to speakers spruiking their message against the Covid vaccine.

“I’m not a machine, what’s in the vaccine,” one rapper chanted.

Hundreds joined the Millions March Against Mandatory Vaccinations protest in Sydneys CBD today. Picture: Tim Hunter

Protesters march through Sydney’s CBD today. Picture: Tim Hunter

Protesters gather at Sydney’s Hyde Park. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Flavio Brancaleone

Controversial politician Craig Kelly, known for his anti-vax stance, was seen shaking hands and high-fiving protesters who treated the MP like a celebrity.

“Vaccine passports are an abuse of human rights, and Dominic Perrottet, Gladys Berejiklian, ‘health Hazzard’, Andrews in Victoria, Palaszczuk in Queensland are all abusers of human rights,” Mr Kelly ranted to the crowd in his speech.

“We are gonna blast them all out and vote them all out.”

Leader of the United Australia Party Craig Kelly at the Millions March Against Mandatory Vaccinations protest in Hyde Park today. Picture: Tim Hunter

MP Craig Kelly speaks at the rally in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Flavio Brancaleone

Footage he shared on his Twitter account shows speakers and musicians taking to a stage to speak about vaccine mandates and play music in front of a large crowd. In one clip shared by Mr Kelly, a band performs The Seekers’ classic “I Am Australian” and the protesters join in to sing “I am, you are, we are Australian” before breaking into cheers and thunderous applause.

The rain and mud didn’t keep the crowds away, with plenty of people braving the weather.

Protesters chanted “Christ over corona” and “sack them all” in reference to politicians Brad Hazzard and Dominic Perrottet, who made frequent appearances on signs and banners.

A large crowd turn out in Hyde Park on Saturday. Picture: Tim Hunter

The rain and mud didn’t keep the crowds away, with plenty of people braving the weather.

Former Qantas pilot Graham Hood spoke at the rally, comparing the protesters with famous World War II conscientious objector Desmond Doss.

He branded Qantas and other companies requiring vaccine mandates as “rapists”.

When approached by The Sunday Telegraph many at the rally became aggressive, one even accused the media of faking videos of Covid patients.

On the Gold Coast, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who this week failed to introduce a bill that sought to “protect” Australians from mandatory vaccination policies introduced by state governments, addressed the crowd.

“I said to (Prime Minister) Scott Morrison last week when I had a half an hour conversation with him on the phone – he said ‘your bill doesn’t comply with the constitution’ – I said ‘well go out and bloody well change it so it does’,” she said to wild applause, banging drums and chants of “Pauline, Pauline”.

One of the signs displayed at the protest in Sydney. Picture: Tim Hunter

Protesters waves the Australian and US flags. Picture: Tim Hunter

Queensland protesters on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Rockhampton and Hervey Bay have been told they face a $4000 fine if they deliberately breach the chief health officer’s directives.

A large crowd converged on Melbourne’s state parliament with live video footage from a news helicopter showing a large group of people blocking Spring Street, some holding banners or beating drums.

The group moved down Bourke St after 1pm, to the sound of cheering, horns and drums, as well as the regular chanting of “Sack (premier) Dan Andrews”.

Protesters across the country are marching under the banners of “Hold the Line” and “Reclaim the Line” against vaccine mandates which they claim are discriminatory.

There were rallies in Adelaide, Darwin, Alice Springs, Perth, Canberra, Newcastle, Ballina, Inverell, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Bermagui, Launceston, Bunburry, Albany, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Carnarvon, Port Hedland, Broome, and Kununurra.

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