Anti-vaxxers tear down Covid testing site in New York

Jade Bremner
·2 min read
Protesters against NYC’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, which went into effect for those working in education on 4 October (Getty Images)
Protesters against NYC’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, which went into effect for those working in education on 4 October (Getty Images)

Two anti-vaxx demonstrators attacked a Covid-19 testing site on Monday, during a protest against New York state’s vaccine mandate.

A video caught the men in Union Square flipping over a table next to a mobile coronavirus testing van, tearing down the tent erected next to it and tossing a chair, before police intervened to stop them permanently destroying any property.

Protesters at the rally shouted “boo” and “shame on you” at the staff member working at the Covid-19 testing site as they went past, followed by chants of “no vaccine mandate”.

Hundreds of Department of Education staffers were involved in the protest, following the coronavirus vaccine mandate that went into place on Monday.

Crowds held placards outside the Department of Education (DOE) offices in Brooklyn before moving towards the Australian Consulate; Australia has also seen numerous anti-vaxx protests in recent days after a number of vaccine mandates.

A protester and special education teacher told the New York Post. “I just think this should be a personal choice…

“The most distressing thing is that we were told we were essential last year and now we’re just nothing.”

Around 8,000 DOE employees have been placed on unpaid leave after refusing to take the vaccine. In August, Mayor Bill de Blasio required the city’s 150,000 public-school employees to get the vaccine, warning that those to chose not to get the shot before the cut off date would be suspended without pay.

On Monday morning, De Blasio said that 95 per cent of DOE employees had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and 99 per cent of all principals have had at least one dose of the Covid shot. “As of today all of the employees in our 1,600 schools are vaccinated,” he told press.

The NYC school system has approximately, 48,000 teachers and a total of 148,000 members of staff. Thousands of DOE employees got last-minute shots before the vaccine mandate took effect.

There have been 43 million cases of Covid-19 to date in the US, and 703,000 deaths, as a result of the disease. The US has administered 396 million Covid shots.