Anti-vaxxers disrupt Dodger Stadium vaccination program
Vaccinations at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles were halted Saturday after dozens of protesters blocked the entrance to the site
Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles became one of the largest coronavirus vaccination sites in the U.S. when an inoculation program began there earlier this month.
However, according to The New York Times, a group of protesters blocking the entrance to the premises forced the site to close down temporarily Saturday.
A group of about 50 protesters had blocked off the entrance to the site, as a line of cars were waiting in line for their turn. Huffington Post reports that the far-right demonstrators were anti-vaxxers armed with signs as they held up traffic.
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Some of the signs said things like “COVID = SCAM” and “Save Your Soul.” Other signs also included “99.96% survival rate” and “End the Lockdown”. The protest, dubbed “The Scamdemic March,” was organized on social media.
This shut down upset many who had been waiting a long time. One of those people, German Jaquez, had been waiting for his vaccine appointment.
“I’ve been waiting for weeks to get an appointment,” he told The Times. “I am a dentist. I am taking a big risk being around patients. I want to be safe for my patients and for my family.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department was forced to shut down the vaccination site just before 2 p.m. PST. The Los Angeles Police Department announced that no arrests were made at the site.
Despite the shutdown, LA Police Chief Michel Moore tweeted that the shut down was only temporary and that everyone waiting in line would not be denied their spot in receiving their vaccination shots.
READ MORE: AP Analysis: Racial disparity seen in US vaccination drive
“The protest did NOT shut down the vaccination site,” Moore wrote. “ALL appointments are being met.”
Los Angeles County has been a COVID-19 heavy area, with close to 1.1 million positive tests and over 16,600 deaths, as of a Sunday afternoon check of coronavirus data compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
According to The New York Times, the city of Los Angeles has among the highest vaccination rates in the U.S., with 83% of shots received by the city being administered so far.
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