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This Monday, thousands of people gathered outside City Hall in Los Angeles, California to protest against the strict COVID-19 vaccination mandate imposed on all city workers.
The protest was organized by the Firefighters 4 Freedom movement and was attended by hundreds of police, firefighters, public employees, parents, community leaders, and Metro workers who rallied against the mandate.
The event featured Rob McCoy, senior pastor of Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Thousand Oaks, and Will Witt, a conservative activist and author who is part of PragerU Youth, among multiple other guests.
“We’re all afraid, and this government that is overreaching and infusing itself where it doesn’t belong is going to threaten each and everyone of us, and all of you have your jobs on the line,” McCoy said. “Stand, don’t quit, give it everything you’ve got.”
For his part, Witt addressed the audience to defend the freedom of American citizens to decide on their medical issues and the rest of the freedoms that “are under attack more than they ever have been.”
“This is not about politics, this is a war on values,” Witt said. “These are people who want to destroy the American way of life, the things that made America America. The things that our founding fathers created in our declaration of independence and constitution are under attack more than they ever have been in the history of this country.”
The conservative activist stated that the protest against the mandatory vaccination mandate is not about a diatribe between Republicans and Democrats, nor is it about a racial issue: “it is good versus evil.”
Toughest mandatory vaccination mandate in the country
The rule states that city workers who are not vaccinated by the deadline, set for December 18, could even lose their jobs.
Under the new vaccination mandate, patrons over the age of 12 will be required to show proof of full vaccination indoors, including restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, concert halls, convention centers, card rooms, museums, shopping malls, spas, among others. In short, in indoor halls and facilities in the city.
The mandate also extends that imposed by Los Angeles County, which last Thursday began requiring full vaccination testing in bars, lounges, nightclubs, breweries, wineries and distilleries.
While some people may qualify for an exemption if they have a medical condition or sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances that prevent them from receiving the vaccine, exemption requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Meanwhile, those who attest to having a medical or religious reason for not being vaccinated may provide a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours prior to entering an indoor space.
Users who are not vaccinated and do not qualify for an exemption may still choose to use the outdoor areas of the venues, although they may be allowed to briefly enter the venue to use the restroom, place an order or pick up an item without the need to wear a facemask.
As of November 29, commercial locations listed in the ordinance may receive a citation for failure to implement the requirement and may be fined $1,000 for a second violation and thousands more for subsequent violations.
According to official Los Angeles County data, more than 80% of residents over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and about 72% have received the full schedule.
