The Vanuatu Government has pulled the plug on a planned march for Thursday in Port Vila to protest against vaccines for young people.
The protestors, involving church and youth groups, had claimed they had been given the go-ahead to stage the march by the Police Commissioner, Robson Ivaro.
But on Wednesday they met with the deputy prime minister, Ishmael Kalsakau, who told them the march couldn't go ahead because it was politically motivated.
He said MPs Andrew Napuat and John Salong, who last week called for changes to the vaccine protocols, were behind the march.
Damelip Vantenkon Photo: Hilaire Bule
The marchers are opposed to the mandatory requirement for everyone to get the vaccine and say their constitutional rights are being ignored.
They claim people have been killed by the vaccines and that prayer and herbal remedies will protect people.
The president of the youth group Vanuatu Indigenous Empowerment, Damelip Vantenkon, said he assured Kalsakau their application for a march had nothing to do with politics but concerns young people.
He said mandatory vaccination takes away the rights of parents over their children.
Vantenkon said over 1,000 youths from Port Vila and the island of Efate were ready to march on Thursday with banners, and hundreds of T-shirts and banners had been printed.
The Ministry of Education wants all children aged between 12 and 17 to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
A group of Vanuatu churches, known as Ministers Fraternal, said it was planning the march.
Pastor Simon Lovo and Pastor Iven Marafi said the government was not explaining the content of the vaccines, nor making public any known side effects.
The group claimed people have died after been vaccinated.
They said mandatory vaccination was depriving parents of their rights, and that there are other ways of combatting covid-19.
"Government should have the concern of the parents and not forcing their children to get the covid vaccines," the pastors said.
"As a christian country we believe that God can heal its people through prayers and God's given things such as herbal medicine."