MORE than 20 people gathered in Beaudesert today to stage a "silent vigil" against government Covid regulations.
With several police officers from Beaudesert and Jimboomba in attendance, the group staged a peaceful march from Scenic Rim Regional Council on Brisbane Street to the offices of federal MP Scott Buchholz.
The police in attendance said they supported everyone's right to peaceful protest so long as no laws were broken.
Despite there being no spokesperson delivering the protestors intent, a clear message was sent via signs carried by those taking part.
They included "my body, my choice - no mandatory vaccinations", "masks are ineffective" and "there's no emergency...".
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Other signs read "no vaccination passports - I do not consent", "pushing experimental vaccinations is a direct violation of the Nuremburg code - we demand informed choice" and "no forced vaccination, no closed borders, no masks, no vaccine passports".
Mr Buchholz said he had heard the protestors outside his office.
"I just want to acknowledge the people who chose to protest in Beaudesert and outside of my office today. I acknowledge that in large part it was peaceful and you were trying to get a message across," he said.
"I heard you and I appreciate your sentiment, there is a right way and a wrong way to voice your freedom of speech.
"Blockading the M1 on the Gold Coast for an hour, as we saw earlier this week, does little or nothing at all to the cause when your underlying argument is freedom and individual liberty - whilst you hinder those freedoms by preventing those motorists looking to make their way to work so they can simply feed their families.
"I hear your frustration just as I hear the daily records being broken of those people choosing to get vaccinated. We saw some 1,922,070 doses in just the last week.
"I also hear the frustration of everyone in our community, our small businesses owners, students, health care workers, parents - no one has avoided the impacts of COVID-19.
"I didn't study epidemiology, I studied business - so in these circumstances of a global pandemic I consider those frontline health workers working to protect us and provide care.
"I consider the advice of medical professionals who are laying path for our community for life after we achieve those marks of 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination."
Mr Buchholz said he had been fully vaccinated, with a double shot of AstraZeneca.
"I appreciate there will be some who choose not to get vaccinated, but can I say to those in the community that are wavering not to take your medical advice from me, I studied business.
"Don't take advice from social media or the internet, or a protest, the best person for you to take advice from is your local GP.
"And simply be led by them as to which course of action is best suited for you particular circumstance."
Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen said he respected the group's right to protest.
"The benefits of a democracy is the opportunity to express different views through peaceful protests," he said.
"I recognise and respect that everyone has the right to express their views and opinions.
"It was unfortunate that some of our customers in Beaudesert were disrupted from their normal access and transactions with council as a result of today's protest."
