Protesters Rally in Fight Against Los Angeles Vaccine Mandate for First Responders
People pushed back on vaccine mandates at a rally in Los Angeles on Monday, holding signs that declared "freedom over tyranny," and encouraged people to "hold the line" in opposition to vaccine requirements.
The "March for Freedom" rally was organized by the group Firefighters4Freedom and encouraged people to "stand united" with Los Angeles city and county employees. In August, Los Angeles passed an ordinance that requires city employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and the local firefighters union has urged the city to rethink the policy.
Moses Castillo, a retired Los Angeles Police Department detective, attended the rally on Monday and told KTLA he did so to show support for the men and women in law enforcement, firefighting and sanitation.
"[Those] who are here [are] not so much against being vaccinated, or the vaccine, but they're against being forced to do so by our local government," Castillo added.
Freddy Escobar, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 11, said last week there could be a "devastating impact" on the city's public safety if firefighters leave their job because of the vaccine requirement. Escobar said the department is already facing staffing shortages and pushed local officials to revise the requirement to allow for unvaccinated members to undergo weekly testing instead.
"No one should lose their job over a vaccine mandate," firefighter Jennifer Landis said at an event last week.
Multiple local outlets reported hundreds of people were gathered at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles for the rally.
Newsweek reached out to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Monday also marked the start of a new vaccine mandate for Los Angeles. Customers who are over the age of 12 will have to show proof of vaccination to dine at restaurants, patronize bars, go to gyms, movie theater, concert venues, museums, malls, salons and other indoor facilities in the city.
The mandate makes an exception for people who self-attest to having a medical or religious reason for not getting vaccinated. Those people must provide a negative COVID-19 test from within the 72 hours prior to entering an indoor space.
Enforcement of businesses will begin on November 29, at which point, venues can be fined $1,000 for a second violation.
Demonstrations against vaccine mandates for employees have been occurring for weeks and come amid legal battles against the Biden administration. On Saturday, a judge temporarily blocked a Biden administration mandate that requires employers with at least 100 employees to implement a policy that requires employees be vaccinated or wear masks and undergo weekly testing.
The mandate is facing dozens of lawsuits, leaving its fate up in the air. However, the Biden administration is confident the mandate can stand up against legal battles and will go fully into place as planned on January 4.
