VIDEO: Homeless man calls out anti-vax protester in LA
- A clip showed a man replying to a protester who asked why the homeless aren’t “dead” from COVID-19.
- “Because I’m vaccinated, dumb fuck,” a man pushing a shopping cart said in response.
- The video was shot by William Gude, who said the respondent was a man experiencing homelessness.
A viral video on Twitter showed a man calling out an anti-vaccine protester who asked why homeless people weren’t “dead in the streets” because of COVID-19.
The 28-second clip was posted by the police documentarian William Gude, an activist who runs the Twitter account Film the Police LA, which has over 15,000 followers. The video has amassed over 4.2 million views, 150,000 likes, and 55,000 retweets. The tweet’s caption says it was shot on Saturday.
—Film The Police LA (@FilmThePoliceLA) October 6, 2021
At the start of Gude’s viral video, a crowd of protesters carrying colorful signs with slogans like “where there is a risk, should be a choice” and American flags marches down the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California. The protesters were a group of anti-vaccine activists, according to the Independent.
“Do you see all these homeless people around?” one protester says through a bullhorn. “Are they dead in the streets with COVID? Hell no! Why?”
“Because I’m vaccinated, dumb fuck,” a person can be heard saying in response.
The camera then pans over to a man who appears to be the respondent pushing a cart down the street. The man was a person experiencing homelessness, according to Gude’s caption. The protester then goes silent for a moment and does not respond to the comment.
Gude did not respond to a request for comment.
COVID-19 vaccines are free for everyone, including people experiencing homelessness. In late September, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) released a statement saying that COVID-19 cases among people experiencing homelessness had declined in recent weeks in September, compared to a rise in cases in July and August. The LADPH did not respond to a request for more recent figures.
The COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective at preventing illness and severe symptoms, and while some vaccinated people have gotten breakthrough cases and died, inoculation greatly decreases one’s chance of dying from the virus, as Insider has reported.
Gude posted a follow-up tweet on Wednesday saying that the man’s name was Ray. Gude also uploaded a 26-second video showing him speaking to the man, whom he said was from Denver, Colorado, and has been without a home for 7 years.
—Film The Police LA (@FilmThePoliceLA) October 6, 2021
Gude tweeted on Thursday the link to a GoFundMe fundraiser to support the man. It has raised over $17,000 in under 24 hours, exceeding its goal of $15,000.
—Film The Police LA (@FilmThePoliceLA) October 7, 2021
“Ray is the man who owned the anti-vaxers on Hollywood blvd with one comment and in result brought so many smiles and laughs to all of us and now we hope we can bring a smile and some happiness to him,” the GoFundMe’s description states.
The GoFundMe’s organizer — listed on the page as Sharon Montenegro — did not respond to a request for comment. The fund’s description states that “William G,” which appears to be the same William Gude who filmed the video, coordinated with others to find the man and help set him up with a phone and bank account.
Gude tweeted on Friday morning that the man was “sleeping inside tonight” for the first time in years.
