Paint it black: Councillor's fight against anti-vax graffiti
ANTI-VAX graffiti has met its match as councillor Tim Sinclair (Con, Stratford North), vows to battle “nonsense” conspiracy theories repeatedly being spray-painted on a bridge in Bishopton.
Vaccine conspiracy theorists make the outlandish claim that 60 per cent of those who have had the Covid vaccine now have bloodclots. The slogan ‘#clotshot’ is used by anti-vaxxers to promote the theory.
After the slogan first appeared in large spraypainted letters on a bridge in Bishopton Lane on 13th January, Cllr Sinclair covered it up with black paint. However, just weeks later the slogan emerged again – this time in white on top of the black paint.
A similar graffiti message has also been spotted on Seven Meadows Road.
Cllr Sinclair told the Herald: “I think everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. But we should follow the science and, frankly, see with our own eyes follow the evidence.
“It’s obvious the vaccination campaign has been very successful in being rolled out and stopping people from getting seriously ill, going into hospital or passing away.
“That’s quite obvious to everybody. Spraying graffiti is illegal anyway, but spraying graffiti messages that discourage people from being vaccinated by spreading false information, is something that we should be vigilant against. I don’t think we should accept it, we should fight against it.”
The graffiti will once again be covered, but in the meantime Cllr Sinclair shared a message to those responsible for spraying it.
“Stop breaking the law. If I am able to identify who those people are, I will be glad to report them to the police.
“Secondly, I want to discourage them and tell them that the messages that they’re putting out are not based on science, and that we should listen to the scientists who know what is best for us.
“We should follow that best guidance. Look with your own eyes at how good the vaccine has been for us. The vaccine has got us closer to returning to a sense of normality, and pushing out scare stories is just illogical and foolhardy. It’s just peddling nonsense.”
The bridge in Bishopton is due to be repainted in the summer.
