SANTA MONICA, Calif.—A coalition of groups including medical professionals, first responders, parents, and students gathered in Santa Monica on Aug. 21 to protest an impending COVID-19 vaccine mandate in Los Angeles, saying it will segregate the city, breed more hate, and violate the rights of tens of thousands of people.
The crowd, estimated by one organizer to be about 1,000 people, at Tongva Park on Ocean Avenue was organized to push back against a motion passed by the Los Angeles City Council on Aug. 11 directing the city attorney to prepare an ordinance requiring people to show proof of at least partial vaccination against COVID-19 to enter most public indoor spaces in the city, including restaurants, bars, gyms, concert venues, movie theaters, and even “retail establishments.”
