They’re cartoonists, that’s what they do

In an image posted to his Instagram account, cartoonist Michael Leunig drew a lone protester standing in front of a loaded syringe, mimicking the iconic “tank man” image of protest in China. An inset of the 1989 photo also appears in Leunig’s drawing.

“Brilliant” and “spot on” applauded his fans.

Others described it as “pretty bad taste” and were disgusted that Leunig dare compare resistance to mandatory vaccination as being similar to the fight for democracy in Tiananmen Square.

But the Australian cartoonist is no stranger to controversy as evidenced by his 2015 cartoon comparing the Victorian government to fascists, following a proposal to ban children who are not vaccinated from Victorian childcare centres.

Titled, “FACIST EPIPHANY,” the cartoon reappropriates Michelangelo’s ‘The Creation of Adam’ and depicts a hand pointing a needle at another hand. “The God of Science grants politicians the divine right to enforce mass medication among babies and small children,” it reads.

And once more in 2015 Leunig artfully questions the science behind vaccinations with his daring publication resulting in public outrage yet again.

Leunig’s latest cartoon is in response to the violent protests seen in Victoria last week in response to the mandating of Covid experimental injections for Victorian construction workers. Daniel Andrews has created a “police state” in Victoria. Anyone who protests the lockdowns or mandatory injection is likely to be hit with pepper ball guns that fire dye pellets so they can be followed and arrested, or struck by stinger grenades which release nine 32-calibre rubber pellets to waist height with a range of five metres.

Leunig makes us think and therein lies his genius

They’re cartoonists, that’s what they do, said a supporter on Twitter