An Ex-Neighbours Star Led An Anti-Vax Protest Against Salvos, Of All Places

Gary Canning from Neighbours (aka IRL anti-vaxxer Damien Richardson) has led a protest again a Melbourne branch of Salvos. Someone, please pass me my 2021 Bingo card. I am so weary.

Basically, a group of anti-vaxxers targeted a Salvation Army shop on Bourke Street in Melbourne. At the mo, Victoria’s rules mean that if you’re unvaccinated and over 12, you can’t go into non-essential shops.

The protestors had stuck posters to the shop, which included catchy slogans like “God does not discriminate” and “op shops are essential services”.

Which yes, fair, op shops play a very important role in many people’s lives and not just for the morally questionable Depop upselling girlies.  But targeting a shop run by volunteers which provides a service for vulnerable people, and blocking their access to the shop, seems like a simply great way to spread the anti-vaccination spew.

In a video posted on Twitter – which was screenrecorded from an IG live which incorrectly said the protest was in Ballarat – one benevolent Salvos employee is seen explaining that they still provide toys and food for everyone, regardless of vax status.

Honestly, the grace and decorum that employee has. I simply could never and am very impressed.

In another video, a woman defends the Salvos volunteers from the anti-vaxxers.

“Come have dinner with us, come sleep with us out here on the street. Start learning about it.

“I’ve been on and off these streets since I was 13 years old and I will stuck up for these guys.”

Why exactly they decided to target Salvos is unclear, but let’s all be honest with ourselves: it is a definite dick move.

Richardson has made a name for himself as a prolific anti-vaxxer in Melbourne after a vid emerged of him shouting at cops during a protest.

His character in Neighbours was killed off in March of 2020 which famously was an incredibly bad month for the earth in general.

Clearly, there’s some sort of mysterious soap opera to vaccine sceptic pipeline, because Home And Away’s Sam Frost also infamously posted an anti-vax Instagram story.

Her character was then temporarily written off the show and won’t return until she’s fully vaxxed.

Someone needs to check both the Ramsay Street and the Summer Bay water, please.

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