Anti-vaxxers convene in Valletta in protest at COVID-19 restrictions

An anti-COVID vaccine protest went ahead in Valletta on Saturday morning despite objections and a lack of permission from the police.

Originally organised by Human Health Alliance, Saturday’s protest saw some 250 people talking to Republic Street with placards shouting “No vaccine, no vaccine”.

When contacted, a Human Health Alliance spokesperson informed MaltaToday that they had “duly notified” the police about their intention to hold a Valletta demonstration on Saturday morning, but the police had objected.

The Alliance claimed that “constitutionally-speaking” there was no need for them to obtain a permit and that the organisers of a demonstration merely need to inform the police of their intentions.

‘My body, my choice’... a pro choice slogan appropriated by the anti-vax community during an impromptu protest held on 24 July, 2021

HHA to contest rally’s prohibition constitutionally

“The police did in fact issue a prohibition, and we informed the police that HHA would be contesting this constitutionally,” HHA explained, adding, “The police insisted in writing that they were prohibiting it. So the HHA informed its members that it had to withdraw from organising the protest. But people turned up anyway as a spontaneous protest.

People turned up to demonstrate on their own steam nevertheless in what was billed as a ‘freedom rally’, with the protestors heard chanting “no vaccine” and “libertà, libertà”.

The group later headed outside the Office of the Prime Minister on Castille Place and outside the House of Representatives.

“The vaccines are only covered by a conditional marketing authorisation,” Human Health Alliance legal spokesperson Rudolph Ragonesi, a convener of a previous demonstration, told MaltaToday.

“Those conditions are that the human trials must continue for two more years from the issue of the authorisation, that it can be used only for emergencies, which also means that only if there are no other treatments – many doctors have gone public saying they have successfully used other treatments.

“There is no emergency use needed for children because they have next-to-zero risk. So it is actually illegal to use the conditional marketing authorisation of these experimental vaccines on children, who must be the most protected in society.  Never in the history of vaccines have children been subjected to an experimental vaccine before.”

In a statement to MaltaToday, Ragonesi, speaking in the name of the Human Health Alliance, said the group were not to be labelled as “anti-vaxxers”.

Ragonesi said the HHA’s position has been that new COVID vaccines have been issued only with a conditional marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). “Following the very same conditions laid down by the EMA is called prudence and sticking to the law pertaining to vaccination. It is not taking an anti-vaxxer stand. However this is the message that has been wrongly conveyed to your readers.”