Pro- and anti-vaccine protests across Australia

Pro-vaccine and anti-jab rallies took place in Melbourne on Saturday as Victoria state’s government looks to pass a controversial law which would grant it specific powers during a pandemic. Thousands of anti-vaccine protesters gathered in front of the state’s parliament house before marching through its surrounding streets. They were voicing their opposition to lockdowns as well as the proposed bill. The legislation would shift power from Victoria’s chief health officer to the premier in declaring a pandemic, as well as give the state’s health minister broader powers in handling the public’s health. The Victorian government has argued that the law changes would allow it to manage a pandemic better. As the anti-vaccine protesters held their rally, opposition demonstrators also gathered nearby. In Sydney, anti-vaccine protesters held a demonstration in Hyde Park before they marched through the city’s streets.