Dodger Stadium Vaccination Site Briefly Interrupted By Protesters
The group, some of whom were carrying signs that read “End the lockdown” and “COVID scam,” remained peaceful.
Dodger Stadium’s vaccination site was briefly interrupted at around 2 p.m. on Saturday after a group of protesters gathered at the entrance.
Some individuals were carrying signs that read “End the lockdown,” “COVID scam” and “99.9 % survival rate.”
Witness Mikel Jollett, who was accompanying his mother to receive her COVID-19 vaccine, wrote on Twitter, “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.”
Continuing a thread on Twitter, he identified about 30 protesters in total and noted that a Sheriff’s helicopter was circling the scene.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrived at the scene in a multiple vehicles, while the Fire Department checked the area as a precaution.
Just before 3 p.m., Jollett shared on social media that “the anti vaxx protesters stepped aside” as Police opened the gate.
At 4:05 p.m., LAPD Chief of Police Michel Moore tweeted, “Working with our public safety partners to ensure everyone with an appointment gets their vaccine today.”
At 4:46 p.m., the official LAFD Twitter account reported an update and clarified that the vaccination site was not closed due to the interruption. “We are aware of social media posts referring to protestors showing up at the Dodger Stadium COVID-19 vaccination site. Preliminary reports are that protestors remained peaceful. The LAPD did NOT close the gates, and per LA City Fire, all scheduled vaccines will be delivered.”
Later in the evening, California Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that the vaccination site had resumed regular operations. “CA is working around the clock to provide life-saving vaccines to those on the frontlines of this pandemic,” he tweeted. “We will not be deterred or threatened. Dodger Stadium is back up and running.”
Dodger Stadium, which was previously a testing site, is one of the city’s largest mass vaccination sites.
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