This fight is not in the street

Take the side of health workers.

This fight is not in the street.

The fight against COVID19 is not in the street. For our health workers the fight is very real, very exhausting, very painful and very dangerous.

Throughout the pandemic, paramedics and patient transport ambos, have worked 14 hour shifts in full PPE, eaten their meals inside ambulances and treated patients in their homes where everyone in the house has COVID.

Our selfless health workers have endured every discomfort, every inconvenience, every risk face in this pandemic. They do this because they care about their patients, the community, and the health system.

To those who attended and took part in violent protests in Melbourne, you are not in the real fight. You are not on the side of health workers or the vulnerable patients they protect.

You are thinking of yourself only.

There has never been a more important time to match the selflessness of health workers, with your own.

There has never been a more important collective action than to protect our health workers and health system in the same way they have protected and will continue to protect you.

The Victorian Ambulance Union (VAU) call on all protesters on Melbourne streets to cease the violence and return home.

We strongly condemn the protest, the abhorrent violence, the disrespect shown towards our police, the danger you have placed the community in. Your actions stop ambulances getting to patients who need our care, and you risk spreading the virus.

For all health workers, our greatest fight will come in the weeks and months ahead where ambulance services and hospitals may be completely overwhelmed by the extremely dangerous COVID19 Delta variant.

We ask that you have our backs as we have had yours. Get vaccinated, wear your masks, and stay at home.

To all the community that have been doing the right thing, we can never say thank you enough. But thank you for having our backs.