David Griffith clashes with council worker over ‘Forest of the Fallen’ anti-vax display at Mildura
Shocking footage captured the moment a council worker was confronted when he took down an anti-vax display in a public park.
The council worker had removed signs posted in Jaycee Park in Mildura, Victoria, on Wednesday.
The signs were placed as part of a display showing photos and stories of people who were supposedly injured or killed by the Covid vaccine.
Displays are popping up all over the country and the memorials are known as ‘The Forest of the Fallen’.
Organizer Michael Gray Griffith shared video of the moment he and another man confronted the council worker for tearing down the displays in Victoria.
The municipal worker explained that no permit had been issued and that he had been ordered to take down the monument.
Anti-Covid vaccine protesters have clashed with a council worker in the Victorian town of Mildura after he removed their ‘Forest of the Fallen’ signs allegedly telling stories of people injured or killed by the Covid vaccines
“This has nothing to do with you,” the man said.
These were put here for a reason. We put them up, we take them down.’
The municipal worker continues to pull the signs out of the ground.
‘I’m just doing my job. I’m sorry,’ he said.
The man insists that the employee stop removing their display.
“Listen, go home and forget about work. Who told you to do this job?’ he said.
The council worker explains that his boss ordered him to remove the signs before the man answers him abruptly.
“Well, send your boss out so we can talk to (them),” he said.
“If you have a problem, take it up with the Mildura City Council,” the council worker said.
The man then exclaimed that he was a taxpayer and would like to leave the signs where they are.
“I’m sorry, but they can’t stay up without a permit,” the council worker replied.
Mr. Griffith then chimes in, “They’d never give us a license, you know that brother.”
“That’s not my decision,” the worker replied.
“But these are our brothers and sisters who have been killed and injured by the vaccine. Do you realize that?’ said Mr Griffith.
The worker apologizes, but continues to pull up the plates despite persistent pleas and jeers from a handful of other onlookers.
Mr Griffith asks what the employee is going to do with the plates and if he wants to put them ‘in the dump’.
In the tense confrontation, the worker continued to remove the signs, despite the quarrels and jeers from protesters
‘Cafe Locked Out’ protester Michael Gray Griffith has set up Forests of the Fallen in three states
The municipal worker put down his plates for a moment and walked away to make the call.
Mr. Griffith and the other man quickly picked up the pile of plates before running off and tossing them into Mr. Griffith’s minibus.
He told Daily Mail Australia the confrontation ended peacefully when he took possession of all 80 plates.
He believed the council worker came in response to a complaint from a man who had previously been ‘upset’ by the display but who did not speak to Mr Griffith.
“Nobody was walking on that stretch, nobody was using it, so it wasn’t like we were blocking trails or anything,” he said.
“These are people who were injured by the vax or died from it and who didn’t get a vote.
“They’ve submitted their own photos, their own stories, they just want recognition for the pain and suffering they’ve been through.
“Some of them have passed away. The people with the flowers are the ones who died, so it’s actually a folk shrine.’
Daryl Morgan, acting general manager of Mildura City Council, told Daily Mail Australia the signs were removed after “a number of complaints were received”.
“It has been decided to remove the signs because they were placed without a permit,” he said.
Mr Morgan said that if the organizer had approached them in advance to ask for permission ‘we are sure we could have come to a more amicable outcome’.
“The removal of the plates had nothing to do with their contents and the plates were left undamaged with the owner,” Morgan said.
Mr Griffith, a 57-year-old playwright from Melbourne, claimed it was the first time anyone had forcibly removed the plates.
In the past six months, displays have also appeared at various locations in Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.
So-called Forests of the Fallen include stories of people claiming to have been harmed by the Covid vaccines (pictured from a protest at Adelaide’s Christies Beach in March)
On Wednesday, a class action was launched in NSW Federal Court against the medical watchdog the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the Department of Health along with senior officials by those who allege vaccine harm has been done.
The lawsuit reportedly has 500 members, including three named applicants, and is seeking damages for those allegedly injured or deprived of the Covid-19 vaccines.
One of the applicants who developed serious heart disease after getting the Pfizer jab even claims there was “cover up” hiding the potential risks.
The lawsuit was organized by Queensland doctor Melissa McCann, who raised more than $105,000 through crowdfunding.
The TGA has repeatedly insisted that the vaccines are safe.
It said it had identified only 14 reports out of hundreds of cases investigated in which the cause of death was related to vaccination and no vaccine-related deaths have been identified this year.
“The TGA is closely monitoring reports of suspected side effects (also called side effects) of the COVID-19 vaccines,” the agency said.
“This is the most intensive safety monitoring of vaccines ever conducted in Australia.”