A man protesting the COVID-19 vaccine in a plaza parking lot at one of Newmarket's busiest intersections attracted the attention — and raised some concern — of passing motorists and shoppers this afternoon.
LED boards on the roof of the van at the York Town Square Mall at Yonge Street and Davis Drive flashed messages of warning about the COVID-19 vaccine, saying it goes against the will of God, is a sign of the apocalypse, and made claims about its effect not backed by science.
NewmarketToday knocked on the door of the van, and the man who answered declined to be interviewed.
The messages on the van direct onlookers to a website filled with religious "prophesies," most of which decry the vaccine as evil, as well as links to other blogs and anti-vaxxer content, including a video from InfoWars' Alex Jones.
Retail workers at the mall said he had been there for a few hours during the afternoon, and some people had come by to talk to him.
"He's not hurting anybody," said one retail worker. "He's just having his say."
However, others said they are concerned about "the serious misinformation" he is trying to spread about the pandemic and vaccinations.
"Can anything be done about this?," wrote Ruth Bonner in a email to local media, Newmarket Mayor John Taylor and York Region medical officer of health Dr. Karim Kurji.
"It seems a real shame just as the vaccination clinics are getting underway and there’s real hope on the horizon," she said.
