One of the strongest supporters of the vaccination rollout in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland is Josephine Bartley. The Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Ward councillor has been supporting the vaccination drive for Pasifika people and posting it on social media to encourage others.
However, she’s also copped a backlash from some in the community and had to take time off for her own safety.
“I was advised to stay home and lay low by the Police and by Auckland Council because of some recent threats to my safety or my property, and just because of the growing anti vax movement that’s happening,” Bartley says.
Not afraid to express her support for the vaccination programme, she has a regular social media presence which has garnered plenty of admiration — but also trolls.
“It was a lot about exploiting our communities to get vaccinated. ‘You should know better, you should be a leader, disgrace to your race…’ I try and not pay attention to it. I don’t look at the stuff on Facebook anymore, because it does get to you.”
The threats took a nasty turn recently when the Pasefika Family Health Group medical centre in Panmure was vandalised allegedly by anti-vax supporters.
Councillor Bartley went down to offer support and immediately posted on social media, calling the attack “unacceptable” and that anti-vaxxers should keep to themselves.
Afterwards, as she was leaving in her work car, three men approached her.
“One of them yelled out something like, ‘You’re all scum.’ So I wound down my window and I asked him, you know, ‘Sorry, what did you say? I didn’t quite hear you.’ And he just stared at me, and then the other man said to him, ‘Let’s just vandalise her car then,” Bartley says.
Thankfully, the men decided to drive off, but their verbal threats had frightened Councillor Bartley, who took down her post and referred the matter to police.
“I do encounter people who are angry with council and angry with our decisions, but I’ve never encountered it where there is just straight hate and not even engaging with me as a person.”
While the police continue their investigation, a security company has also kept an eye on her house.
The qualified lawyer and now community figure is concerned her support for the vaccination efforts has invited a new kind of “vitriol”, especially online.
“I deal with a lot of people who are upset and angry, but what I am worried about and concerned about are our health providers and the young people that are supporting the vaccination events.”
Seventy seven percent of all those eligible in New Zealand are fully vaccinated. However, some have concerns about the vaccine even among Pasifika people. Councillor Bartley says there is way forward, and it’s not through hate.
“I don’t think it’s helping us at all, because it cannot be an ‘us vs them’. I have friends and family who are not going to get vaccinated, but that doesn’t mean that I love them any less. But ideally it will be great if we were all vaccinated for our own good,” Bartley says.
