Fans cheer outside an immigration detention hotel where Novak Djokovic (inset) is confined in Melbourne, Australia, on Monday. AP / AFP
Novak Djokovic’s fight against deportation from Australia over his COVID-19 vaccination status has found support from anti-vaccine groups who have co-opted his battle to further their cause.
The men’s world number one tennis player, who had long declined to reveal his COVID-19 vaccination status before court documents showed he had not been immunised, won a stunning victory over the Australian government on Monday to overturn the cancellation of his visa.
The news was met with elation from groups and high-profile figures, who have sought to undermine COVID-19 vaccination efforts.
A message calling on people to rally outside Djokovic’s place of detention in Melbourne was posted in a Telegram group dedicated to organising protests that has more than 16,000 members.
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