Federal Labor MP backs calls for exclusion zones outside hospitals after Melbourne anti-vax protests

A federal Labor MP says the Andrews government should introduce emergency legislation after anti-vax protesters blocked the entrance to Melbourne hospitals.

A federal Victorian Labor MP has urged Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes to introduce emergency legislation to limit protests outside of hospitals.

The call from federal McEwen MP Rob Mitchell comes after about 200 anti-vaxxers protested outside a series of Melbourne hospitals – including the Royal Children’s Hospital – over vaccine mandates.

In a letter written to Ms Symes, obtained by the Herald Sun, Mr Mitchell said he was seeking “advice on possible emergency legislation”.

“Whilst the right to protest is something very important to our democracy, I consider that the action that the weekend of protesters at the Royal Children Hospital warrants government considering a move to protect hospital staff, patients and families,” he said.

Federal Labor MP Rob Mitchell is seeking advice on possible emergency legislation. Picture: AAP

“This could be achieved by creating legislation to limit protest outside of hospitals to at least a 250 metre zone, in line with Safe Access Zone Laws Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.”

Mr Mitchell said prohibiting certain behaviours – such as harassment, obstruction and filming within a certain distance of the hospital – would be “greatly appreciated”.

“Safe access zone laws protect the privacy, safety, dignity and wellbeing of patients accessing hospital services, and the staff providing those services, from the harmful behaviours of activists,” he added.

Cancer patient mum’s fury at protesters

The mother of a cancer patient has hit out at anti-vax protesters who blocked her from entering the Royal Children’s Hospital where her daughter was receiving chemotherapy.

Karly Kirk told the Herald Sun that she was blocked by protesters who were standing on the road in front of the emergency entrance at the hospital on Saturday.

Ms Kirk was visiting her 11-year-old daughter, Darcy, who was receiving treatment for anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer.

“It just made me so angry by the time I parked my car,” she said.

“I had full goosebumps, I can’t fathom that they were thinking that was OK.”

About 200 anti-vaxxers protested outside the Royal Children’s Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Women’s Hospital over vaccine mandates.

Colourful signs including “these bastards (MPs) are killing our lovely kids” and “vaxxing our kids is child abuse” were held up as protesters chanted, “you got the jab and you still got sick”.

Darcy, 11, is receiving treatment for a rare type of blood cancer.

Darcy’s mum, Karly, was blocked by protesters at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Ms Kirk said the atmosphere was “highly tense”, with protesters screaming at police with megaphones.

“They had the audacity to put me in a position where I was scared and anxious,” she said.

“I was beside myself, I was crying, I was upset.”

It’s also understood doctors were escorted into the hospitals by police after protesters struck their cars and hurled abuse at them.

Dr Stephen Parnis, an emergency physician and past Australian Medical Association vice president, said the state government needed to introduce “exclusion zones” to ban protests near hospitals.

“It’s an unnerving experience, you don’t know whether you’re safe or not because these people are prone to be very uncomfortable with those that disagree with them, to the point of threats and violence,” he told 3AW.

“That’s the last thing that any of us deserve or need.

“It’s hard enough looking after people in the current environment without having lunatics question the very basics of science.”

Ms Kirk backed the idea, saying the “exclusion zones” would lift the burden on her family’s difficult situation.

“There’s a massive lack of empathy,” she said.

“There definitely needs to be an exclusion zone in every regard.”

The Royal Children’s Hospital was surrounded by anti-vaxxers protesting against vaccine mandates on Saturday.

A state government spokesman said the safety of patients and staff is always the top priority, adding they were in “constant discussions” with hospitals and health services about the best ways to protect people.

“Hounding patients and healthcare workers, blocking vehicles entering hospitals — especially a hospital for children — is absolutely despicable,” the spokesman said.

“We believe in the right to peaceful protest, but what we saw over the weekend was not fair on health care workers, patients and their families – people already dealing with enough stress and pressure.

“While the Andrews Labor government has consistently stood up to extremist anti-vaccination protesters, Liberal Party MPs joined them on the steps of state parliament to support their distorted cause.”

Meanwhile, chief health officer Brett Sutton slammed the “bloody astounding” beliefs of the anti-vax protesters who gathered outside Melbourne hospitals — including the Royal Children’s — on the weekend.

The Victorian chief health officer tweeted “the unfathomable bit for me about protesters outside hospitals is that they think nurses and doctors — people who’ve dedicated their lives to helping people — are somehow part of a huge global movement to poison children and adults”.

“It’s bloody astounding,” he tweeted.

It’s not the first time Professor Sutton has criticised protesters’ logic.

In the wake of large protests in July last year during lockdown, he warned their demands would not lead to freedom but instead thousands of cases, deaths and debilitating long-term complications.

“I love freedom. Who doesn’t love freedom?” he tweeted at the time.

“I want freedom from being amongst the over four million official (and likely 10 million actual) COVID deaths globally.

“We can all argue the merits or otherwise of various approaches to managing transmission, but let’s not pretend that ‘marching for freedom’ will actually deliver the precious freedom that we all need and desire.”

Chief health officer Brett Sutton slammed the anti-vaxxers beliefs as ‘astounding’. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin said the situation was “an absolute disgrace” but said the Andrews government’s policy failure had allowed the protest to occur.

“This should not have happened and would not have happened under a Liberal-Nationals government,” he said.

“We had move on laws to ensure that the police had the power to move on people when it came around to community safety.

“This is why. If a child with cancer can’t get into the Royal Children’s Hospital because of protesters out the front, then the government has failed in their policy here in this state.

“The Victoria Police should have the powers. We would reintroduce those powers.”

Andrews government Minister Jaala Pulford called on anti-vax protesters to find a “skerrick of human decency” before rallying outside hospitals.

Ms Pulford — who has openly spoken out about her daughter’s battle with cancer — said she spent a month of her life “living on a couch at the Children’s Hospital”.

“I would urge the protesters to find in themselves some skerrick of human decency, and spare a thought for what it might feel like for them should they be living on a couch at the Children’s Hospital, and for their children to ever be in a position where they’re admitted to a facility like that,” she said.

“I spent a month of my life living on a couch at the Children’s Hospital and I think those people should have a good, hard think about what they’re doing to people going through incredibly challenging personal circumstances.

“Think about what that might feel like if the shoe were on the other foot.”

Andrews government minister Jaala Pulford is urging the protesters to find some ‘human decency’. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Ms Pulford was non-committal to the proposal of exclusion zones, citing that the protest was likely a one-off occurrence.

But she said it was ultimately a question that needed to be put to the appropriate Minister, noting it is an “important right” for people to protest peacefully.

“I urge them to find better, more thoughtful and frankly more effective ways to protest,” she said.

Sergeant Megan Stefanec said Victoria Police was “extremely disappointed” with the behaviour of the protesters.

“Victoria Police responded to a planned demonstration in Melbourne on Saturday,” she said.

“While Victoria Police were able to safely facilitate entry and exit from these locations, they are extremely disappointed with the behaviour of the group targeting hospitals.”

It’s understood the protest was dubbed “un-gag our doctors and nurses” online.

Prominent guest speakers included Dr Duncan Syme, who told the crowd he had worked in medicine for 34 years.

“I’ve been suspended by AHPRA medical board for providing medical exemptions for patients who did not want to be injected by the Covid-19 jab,” he told the crowd outside of David Jones on Bourke St.

“There has been a basic abandonment of medical ethics during the last two-and-a-half years.

“I’m deeply ashamed. I want to thank all the people here today who are standing up for freedom.”

He urged the crowd to resist against “medical tyranny” regarding mandatory vaccinations.