Ash Grunwald says he is “not anti vax” but “absolutely pro choice” about COVID-19 vaccination

The musician said he was recently turned away from the Queensland border because he is unvaccinated, though he says he has a "legal medical exemption"

Ash Grunwald says he was denied entry into Queensland over the weekend for a festival because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, calling himself “not anti vax” but “absolutely pro choice” about the vaccine.

On Saturday (October 30), the Melbourne-based blues musician took to Facebook and Instagram to share the news he would not be performing his set at Bundaberg’s Milbi Festival that day, which “would have been my first gig in six months”.

Grunwald claimed he was turned back from the Queensland border as he is not vaccinated “even though I have a legal medical exemption… and they chose not to recognise that in QLD”. Grunwald did not elaborate on his “legal medical exemption”, saying that he has one for reasons “that are nobody else’s business”.

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Grunwald went on to say that he is “not anti vax” but “absolutely pro choice”.

“I’m not sick, I’m in perfect health, all I wanted to do was turn up and do my job,” he wrote. “I’m not anti vax but I am absolutely pro choice and completely dumbfounded by the mandates and the divide that is happening in our country. We need to stick together and demand our freedoms back.”

Elsewhere in the post, Grunwald blamed the government for “choosing” “prolonged lockdowns, vax mandates, families destroyed, loss of livelihood, suicide, depression, anxiety and the list goes on”, and accused the mainstream media of being “massively complicit”.

Read the full statement below:

Devastated to not be playing my set at the Milbi Fest in Bundaberg today, and I’m so sorry to you guys that we’re…

Posted by Ash Grunwald on Friday, October 29, 2021

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Grunwald’s post has drawn a mixed reaction. Some commenters have expressed their support and sympathies, while others have criticised the musician and said they will no longer listen to his music.

As The Music notes, Grunwald has faced criticism for potentially spreading misinformation regarding vaccination effectiveness and for using terms and concepts championed by the anti-vax movement, including a focus on ‘personal freedoms’. In his post, Grunwald also accused Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews of attempting “to pass laws to turn Victoria literally (not figuratively) into a dictatorship”, saying it was “time to speak up for democracy”.

The singer-songwriter has since addressed the reaction to his post, thanking his supporters and responding to his detractors. In a video shared to his Instagram Story today (November 1), Grunwald said: “For those who have a contrary view and the people who expressed that in a logical way, I really do appreciate that… Somebody said they wanted to throw my merch in the bin – fine, catch you later. But thanks everybody.”

NME has reached out to Grunwald’s representatives for further comment.

Ash Grunwald released his latest single ‘I Want You To Know’ in September, alongside an announcement that his 11th album, ‘Shout Into The Noise’, is slated for release in early 2022.

The singer-songwriter also recently picked up a 2021 ARIA Award nomination for Best Blues and Roots Album, for his collaboration with Josh Teskey on ‘Push The Blues Away’.

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