Posted on 08/29/2021 7:09:50 PM PDT by absalom01
A crowd of several hundred people, many carrying American flags and holding signs that read, “No jabs for jobs” and “Stop the medical tyranny,” gathered near Santa Monica’s pier Sunday to push back against proposed COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
Held in a park off a busy stretch of Ocean Avenue, the gathering — billed as a “worldwide rally for freedom” — appeared half political rally and half religious gathering. Organizers led the group in prayers and attendees milled at booths to learn about recall attempts of several Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon.
A banner supporting Newsom’s recall was hung between palm trees. Some held banners supporting other candidates for the office, including conservative radio host Larry Elder. Booths also hawked merchandise celebrating former President Trump and the 2nd Amendment.
A man who identified himself as Craig, but declined to give his last name, said he showed up at the park to oppose vaccine requirements. He held several posters, including one criticizing the vaccine and another that equated abortion with murder.
“It’s obvious these vaccinations are a sign of segregation and that’s a form of tyranny,” the Huntington Park resident said.
Health experts have said the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and save lives. Data released by Los Angeles County on Sunday showed that hospitals are seeing a greater number of unvaccinated people who are younger and otherwise healthy fill up their beds.
In the days leading up to the rally, Santa Monica police said they were staffing up in preparation for the possibility that violence could break out between the anti-vaccination group and counter-protesters who indicated to officials they planned to attend.
Authorities hoped the increased police presence would help deter skirmishes and other issues that have plagued protests in cities across Southern California.
“We want people to know the minute they get into town that this isn’t going to be a free-for-all melee,” said Santa Monica police Sgt. Erika Aklufi. “We’re really trying to push people toward a peaceful protest. We’re hoping for the best.”
Interim Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said in a video message posted to the police department’s Facebook page on Wednesday that the city and police department “values the ability of the public to engage in peacefully expressive conduct as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.”
“On the other hand, we do take issue with those who come to our community specifically to intimidate — through violence or other criminal behavior — those who seek to peacefully exercise their constitutional rights,” she said.
In response to the planned event, the Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday passed an emergency ordinance banning items including plastic pipes, baseball bats, aerosol sprays, glass bottles, chains longer than 20 inches, metal containers, shields, gas masks, helmets, body armor, bricks and rocks. Some of those items have been used as weapons at similar rallies across the country in recent years.
Signs listing the banned items were affixed to traffic lights across downtown Sunday.
Protests over vaccinations and other regulations aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 have been widespread through the pandemic, at times leading to brawls among attendees. A man was stabbed and a reporter was assaulted during a melee at an anti-vaccination rally in downtown Los Angeles earlier this month.
Anti-mask demonstrators have also converged near the Huntington Beach pier in recent months.
In January, a group of anti-vaccine protesters disrupted operations at a mass COVID-19 vaccination center at Dodger Stadium, prompting some officials to call for increased security at testing and vaccination sites.
There is no blanket rule mandating that people get vaccinated in California, but some cities have or are considering requiring proof of vaccination to enter certain businesses. New York City became the first major city to do so this month, followed by San Francisco and New Orleans.
The Los Angeles City Council this month voted to direct city attorneys to draft a law that would require people to have at least one dose of a vaccine to visit indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, shops and movie theaters. Much of the plan has not been worked out, and the full City Council still must approve the proposed law.
L.A. County officials are also considering instituting their own public vaccine verification rules. Last month, the county reimposed a rule requiring people to wear masks in indoor public spaces amid a surge in new coronavirus infections fueled by the highly transmissible Delta variant.
Among the lineup of conservative speakers slated to attend Sunday’s rally is David Bramante, who is running in the recall election. Bramante recently created a satirical site called the Anonymous Unvaccinated Reporting System, which asked people to report those who are unvaccinated.
“My goal with the site is to point out how dangerously close we are as society to having a company like AURS exist; a world where friends, family and neighbors are reporting each other to a third-party website and local authorities,” he wrote on his website.
Tony Moon, better known as the Roof Korean on Twitter, was also expected to speak, according to a flier advertising the event.
Moon, who has acknowledged being in Washington, D.C., on the day of the insurrection at the Capitol in January and was also present at violent clashes outside the Wi Spa in Westlake, spoke at a protest in Los Angeles that turned violent this month.
Moon has defended his actions on Twitter, accusing counter-protesters of stoking the violence and sharing right-wing posts praising “patriots” for confronting “antifa.”
Staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.
Decided to go check this event out earlier today. There was a good turnout, I’d say at least 300 people, plus a handful (less than a dozen) counter protesters.
Antifa had their fake journalists out taking pictures of those in attendance, but their black clad goons stayed away. The crowd was 100% MAGA and at least 10% Q, but everyone got along.
Reminded me of some of the good old days when the LA chapter would turn up at the recall Gray Davis street theater events.
Antifa attacks pro-liberty demonstrations.
If the police want protests to be peaceful, they need only round up the Antifa as soon as they arrive and escort them to another location where they can hold their “counter-demonstration.”
Re the writer of this article, Hey ahole, what “insurrection” on Jan. 5th? The police/DAs etc have totally dropped using this term in their charging of the protestors as well as dropping many charges of “rioting”.
Don’t know who the news source is but if this is an indication of their bias, read them with care, and if you catch them in a “lie”, nail their journalistic assholes to the “biased, incompetency wall”.
This was actually the best published article i could find with a quick google search.
Most of the others had deceitful headlines like “Anti Vax protest at Santa Monica Pier” etc.
In any event, the report of the actual event matched my personal observations. No real opposition group showed up (at least while I was there), and people were opposing the state and city mandates and passports that are being discussed.
I did see several of the antifa “journalist” types, but no bloc. So that was good. Tony Moon was in fine form as well. A good time was had by all (though lots of the Santa Monican Karens thought it was cool to drive by with middle fingers extended).
Those kinds of extensions are meant to be provocative.
extensions? Not following.
Now they’ve done it. If they feel you’ve challenged their authority they’ll rule against you just to prove they’re in control.
You mentioned some Santa Monicans with extensions. Legal but intentionally provocative.
There was also a rally this afternoon at the Huntington Beach pier, which I attended. Speakers included the Rev. Brian Hawkins of San Jacinto in Riverside County and a candidate for Congress in that area. The Rev. Artur Pawlowski, a Canadian priest who has on many occasions tangled with police over lockdowns, was scheduled to speak, but I wasn’t able to stay for the whole program.
Good to know, thank you.
How was the attendance? Did any of the usual ‘counter-protesters’ show up?
Pawlowski is great, if I’d know he was going to be there, I would have made the drive.
Other than a religious fanatic who wandered in, interrupting one of the speakers, and then wandered out, there was no trouble.
I have heard--but I haven't seen it confirmed--that Pawlowski is scheduled to speak at Victory Park on Paloma in East Pasadena at noon today. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend.
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