After anti-vaccine protesters stormed a COVID-19 vaccination drive, officials were forced to close down the vaccination site and temporarily pause the giving of shots at the Dodger Stadium, Saturday.
Hundreds of people who came to the venue to get their vaccines were told to temporarily wait in their cars as officials tried to regain control of the incident.
Delay in Vaccinations
According to NBC News, the Los Angeles Fire Department closed down the site for at least an hour as they tried to control the crowd of anti-vaccine protesters who wanted to enter the stadium parking lot, where the vaccinations were done.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department stated that no one was arrested following the protest but a spokesman assured that a sufficient number of officers were deployed in the area.
Despite the delay, the spokesperson stated that the LAPD was there in order to make sure that all the vaccines will be administered to people who came.
In response to the incident, California Governor Gavin Newsom posted a statement on Twitter stating that the state is working 24-7 in order to make sure that the vaccines against COVID-19 are given to the people who are working in the frontlines amid the pandemic.
CA is working around the clock to provide life-saving vaccines to those on the frontlines of this pandemic.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 31, 2021
We will not be deterred or threatened.
Dodger Stadium is back up and running. https://t.co/5Yu9qqjO2K
Newsom also stated that California will not be threatened or deterred by anything, referring to the anti-vaccine protesters. Read also: Are Two Face Masks More Effective Than One as Shield From COVID-19?
"SCAMDEMIC"
On the other hand, Washington Post reported that several of the anti-vaccine protesters were not wearing masks, despite the continuous reminders by health officials that wearing masks will help mitigate the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, there were also social media posts that referred to the protest as the "SCAMDEMIC PROTEST/MARCH."
The protesters said that it was done in order to inform people that the COVID-19 pandemic is nothing but a scam. Participants in the protests were also advised through social media that they should not wear any attire that represents Trump or MAGA. Organizers noted that people should not bring anything but informational signs.
They also described the protest as a "sharing information protest, where the anti-vaccine protesters marched against everything about COVID-19. These include the vaccines, lockdowns, masks, Newsom, PCR Testing, Fauci, and China. Moreover, a series of videos on Twitter also showed the anti-vaccine protester discouraging people who were in line for the shots from getting the vaccine.
One of the people who came for the vaccination, German Jaquez, told The Houston Chronicle that what happened was completely wrong. Jaquez said that he drove all the way from La Verne and was already at the stadium waiting for his turn for about an hour when it was closed.
Jaquez also said that there were anti-vaccine protesters who told people waiting in line that the pandemic is not real and getting vaccinated was dangerous.
We’re at the mass vaccination site at Dodger Stadium to get my mom the vaccine. The anti–vax protestors have approached the entrance to the site. The LAPD have now closed the gate. We have been sitting here for about half an hour. Nobody is moving. pic.twitter.com/GrJPA5wrqx
— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel_Jollett) January 30, 2021
According to the public health department, Los Angeles County alone has suffered from more than 1.1 million COVID-19 cases and 16,647 fatalities.
After the temporary closure due to the anti-vaccine protesters, the site was opened again just before 3 o'clock. It was also noted that the vaccination site is usually operating from 8 AM to 8 PM.
Related article: Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine Effective, but Has Little Effect Against South African Variant
