State Watch

Vaccine mandate opponents protest at LA council members’ homes

Vaccine mandate opponents showed up at the houses of two Los Angeles council members on Sunday to protest.

City Council President Nury Martinez and Councilman Mitch O’Farrell both said they saw protesters outside their homes after they supported a vaccine mandate in order for individuals to do activities such as eating at a restaurant, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Martinez told the outlet protesters showed up outside her home around 7:30 p.m. She said the protesters also bothered her neighbors.

O’Farrell spokesman Dan Halden told the outlet that protesters showed up on Sunday night but did not give more details about the encounter.

The protesters showed up after gathering in a park in the city to show their discontent for vaccine mandates.

The gathering occurred after City Council members asked for a law to be drafted that would require individuals to show their vaccination cards to participate in activities such as eating at restaurants.

The law is still in the drafting stage and has not been decided on.

“Whoever votes yes, we’re coming to your door,” a video on social media showed a man saying during the protest. “We’re coming to your home. You want to intimidate us? We’re coming to you now.”

A similar vaccine mandate has been implemented in New York City, where individuals are now required to show proof of vaccination for some activities. 

Vaccine mandates are becoming more common as the delta variant causes cases to rise and after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

The Hill has reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department, Martinez’s office and O’Farrell’s office for comment.