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World Wide Freedom Rally Canterbury attracts hundreds in #WeWillAllBeThere protests
17:44, 15 May 2021
updated: 08:06, 17 May 2021
Hundreds of people joined a march today as part of anti-lockdown rallies worldwide.
About 600 people were at the World Wide Freedom Rally through Canterbury city centre.
A wide range of ages took part, including several families with young children.
There was very little police presence - just a couple of officers and PCSOs at both the start and the end of the march.
Guest speaker at the rally in Dane John Gardens was an ex-Pfizer scientist, who has become a prominent voice against Covid measures he believes are used to control individual freedom.
Dr Michael Yeadon is a former vice-president and chief scientist at the pharmaceutical firm.
He spoke at today's rain-soaked event and many queued to meet him.
The scientist attracted global media attention when he demanded that Covid-19 vaccine trials be stopped.
Speaking to KentOnline today, Dr Yeadon said he was protesting about the government's 'absurd Covid responses'.
He said: "None of the main narrative points about lockdowns, masks, a-symptomatic transmission, variants, all of these things that they tell you are untrue.
"What I'm trying to do is to share my absolute confident interpretation that they are lying and I believe their intention is to get us onto a vaccine passport system which at very best will be totalitarian control."
Today's rally in Canterbury was one of many held worldwide, including London, Perth, Lisbon, Dublin, Toronto and Amsterdam, against government seizure of personal rights and freedoms.
It is aiming to raise awareness online with the hashtag #WeWillAllBeThere.
Anti-lockdown protests are sweeping across Europe in opposition to government restrictions to control Covid-19 infections.
Writing to Kent Online afterwards, Canterbury City councillor Nick Eden-Green (Lib Dem), who represents Wincheap Ward and lives in Dane John, said: "I watched the small march and demonstration against the lockdown and covid vaccination.
"The misinformation being peddled was both saddening and frightening. The internet and social media clearly have much to answer for.
"Amongst other things I was told by some of the activists distributing leaflets that flu kills more people than covid.
"True, flu has killed more than covid in the past but from Jan - August 2020 - the last comparative statistics I could find - covid deaths were 48,168, pneumonia 13,619 and flu 394. Doubtless thanks to extensive flu vaccination."
He said he was also told "our hospitals are empty".
He said: "Try telling that to the 5m awaiting treatment, the 400,000 who have been waiting over a year or the exhausted hospital staff who, after almost being overwhelmed by covid patients, are now expected to deal with the backlog."
And he said he was also told "the vaccine can kill you".
Claiming that the odd exception is actually the rule is both misleading and dangerous when it comes to killer diseases. Get your jab and keep your distance
He wrote: "True. All vaccines and indeed virtually all medical procedures carry a risk. As at May 5, 50,682,567 doses of vaccine had been administered in the UK with 28.5m being Astra Zeneca. There have been 49 deaths from vaccine-related blood clots. Exactly the same number as those killed or seriously injured by lightning. Statistically, you are probably more likely to die on your way to the vaccination centre than to die from the vaccine.
"The demonstration had a lot of people peddling 'alternative facts'. Indeed, there are almost always exceptions in the inexact science of medicine but claiming that the odd exception is actually the rule is both misleading and dangerous when it comes to killer diseases. Get your jab and keep your distance."
