On Monday, hundreds of people gathered in a Los Angeles park to rally against vaccine mandates.
The “March for Freedom” protest at Grand Park was organized by Firefighters4Freedom.
City employees are expected to get fully vaccinated by Dec. 18. Many of the demonstrators included firefighters, police officers, and sanitation workers.
A retired LAPD Detective, Moses Castillo, said “I’m here to show support for the men and women in law enforcement, the firefighters, those working in sanitation… who are here not so much against being vaccinated, or the vaccine, but they’re against being forced to do so by our local government,” according to The Hill.
Protesters explained that they are not anti-vaccine but do not support the government forcing a vaccine at the local or federal level.
John Knox, a member of Firefighters 4 Freedom, stated “That’s an overreach on the government’s part, because it’s not your right to tell me what I do with my health care, what I put into my body”.
A new measure to slow the spread of COVID requires citizens to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to enter certain indoor places such as restaurants, salons, and theaters.
Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office released a statement Monday saying “These rules are in place to keep Angelenos safe, and help us get the economy back to full strength as quickly as possible”.
LA businesses have until Nov. 29 to adjust to the new rules before the city begins inspection. If they do not comply, a warning will be given and they could be fined $1,000 for a second offense. Additional violations will cause increased fines.