Anti-vax protests close to schools criticised

Anti-Covid vaccination protesters have been criticised after signs were displayed on a busy West Sussex road.

Protesters with placards were spotted on the pavement in Kingston Lane, towards the junction with Old Shoreham Road on the Shoreham/ Southwick border, last Wednesday.

One mother said: “The signs said that we are harming our teens and that if you have the vaccine you could get a heart attack or go blind.

“I think it is totally unacceptable that the protesters would push this type of message onto primary and secondary school children.”

The junction is not far from several schools, including Shoreham Academy and Glebe Primary School in Southwick.

The mother added: “Our children should be free to walk to school without having to see signs such as these.”

She said she ‘absolutely respects and agrees with the right to free speech, to hold one’s own opinions and to protest’ but felt the protesters had ‘taken matters too far’.

“Many children are already anxious and worried about the pandemic without now having to deal with shocking messages like this on the way to school,” she said.

East Worthing & Shoreham MP Tim Loughton described the tactics as ‘despicable’ and said he had spoken to Shoreham Academy and police.

“While I respect the right of everyone to free speech and to protest their case, using shock tactics like this with highly spurious claims against children and young people is completely irresponsible and beneath contempt,” he said.

“The vast majority of the British public have done the responsible thing and had the jab for their own safety and that of their family and community.

“Trying to scare young people in defiance of the science and against all the advice from clinical experts is completely reckless and these people should be ashamed.”

Last week, the UK’s chief medical officers said healthy children aged 12 to 15 should be offered a dose of a Covid vaccine to help reduce disruption to education.

Only one dose is recommended because of the very rare risk of the heart condition myocarditis.