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Dodger Stadium Vaccine Site Shut Down In Los Angeles After Protesters Block Entrance
“Wow. Have fun being a byproduct of Bill Gates,” one protester told a frustrated driver hoping for a vaccine.
Anti-vaxxer and far-right protesters blocked the entrance of a mass vaccine site at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Saturday, forcing officials to temporarily shut down the operation.
Dozens of protesters holding aloft signs reading “Save Your Soul,” and “COVID = SCAM” halted traffic, stranding hundreds of people desperate to get the life-saving injections.
The Los Angeles Fire Department closed the site at mid-afternoon, the Los Angeles Times reported. It was reopened about an hour later, reported NBC News.
There were no arrests, according to NBC, which infuriated critics on Twitter.
The site is one of the largest vaccine operations in the nation.
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Excerpts from:
Los Angeles Times
Dodger Stadium’s COVID-19 vaccination site temporarily shut down after protesters gather at entrance
By MARISA GERBER, IRFAN KHANJAN. 30, 2021 UPDATED 6:50 PM PT
Dodger Stadium’s mass COVID-19 vaccination site was temporarily shut down Saturday afternoon when about 50 protesters gathered at the entrance, frustrating hundreds of motorists who had been waiting in line for hours.
The Los Angeles Fire Department closed the entrance to the stadium — one of the largest vaccination sites in the country — for about an hour starting just before 2 p.m. as a precaution, officials said. Several LAPD officers also responded to the scene; a spokeswoman for the department said no arrests were made.
Andrea Garcia, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, said that despite the 55-minute interruption, no appointments were canceled.
“We remain committed to vaccinating Angelenos as quickly and safely as possible,” she said.
The demonstrators included members of anti-vaccine and far-right groups. While some carried signs decrying the COVID-19 vaccine and shouting for people not to get the shots, there were no incidents of violence.
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A post on social media described the demonstration as the “Scamdemic Protest/March.” It advised participants to “please refrain from wearing Trump/MAGA attire as we want our statement to resonate with the sheeple. No flags but informational signs only.ADVERTISEMENThttps://d237b1e97425d209e9eaa873931fc384.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
“This is a sharing information protest and march against everything COVID, Vaccine, PCR Tests, Lockdowns, Masks, Fauci, Gates, Newsom, China, digital tracking, etc.”
A livestreamed video of the gathering shows a group of protesters on a sidewalk as cars navigate cone-lined lanes toward the stadium, which served as a COVID-19 testing site for months. A Times photographer witnessed much of the incident.
Protesters carried signs that read “Save Your Soul TURN BACK NOW,” “CNN IS LYING TO YOU,” “RECALL GAVIN NEWSOM” and “TAKE OFF YOUR MASK.” Some handed out pamphlets to motorists who had their windows down. Some cars blared their horns as they drove by.
Protesters spoke through bullhorns: “Turn back while you can,” one man said. “You’re a lab rat.”
Public officials swiftly weighed in, expressing frustration.
“We will not be deterred or threatened,” Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted. “Dodger Stadium is back up and running.”
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The Dodger Stadium incident marked the latest protest by small groups opposed to basic coronavirus safety measures such as face coverings.
Following demonstrations by anti-mask groups at shopping malls, grocery stores and homeless encampments, the Los Angeles City Council earlier this month bolstered restrictions and subjected some violators to financial penalties. Following a unanimous vote, the council ordered city attorneys to draft a law that would impose fines and penalties on those who refuse to wear a mask at indoor businesses when requested to do so by management, as well as on individuals who refuse to wear one when “invading someone’s personal space.”
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After the Century City demonstration, Garcetti issued a warning.
“We won’t have officers who are standing by witnessing that. We will take action,” the mayor said. “And don’t test us on this, because you will find yourself in jail, cited or dealing with prosecution.”
Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.
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