New York City firefighters, cops and municipal workers marched Monday to protest vaccine mandates imposed by the city, with some protesters erupting into “Let’s go Brandon” and “F*ck de Blasio” chants.
Democratic Mayor de Blasio announced Oct. 20 that all municipal workers are required to be vaccinated with at least one dose by Oct. 29 and are eligible to receive a $500 bonus for receiving their first shot. However, what appeared to thousands of city workers, including firefighters, cops and first responders, marched throughout the city against de Blasio’s mandate, waving American flags and chanting “USA!” and “Hold the line!” (RELATED: New York City Mandates Vaccinations For 148,000 School Teachers, Staff)
WATCH:
“Let’s Go Brandon” Chant over a thousand municipal workers including FDNY, EMS, NYPD and SDNY #HappeningNow in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/yxQhyXz4cJ
— Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) October 25, 2021
“F**k DeBlasio” Chant over a thousand municipal workers including FDNY, EMS, NYPD and SDNY as they march through Brooklyn #HappeningNow pic.twitter.com/0Na4smNaRF
— Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) October 25, 2021
“Today is the day in which we, the workers of this great city, stand up to these unreasonable mandates. We, the workers, are the foundation on which this city stands, and without that foundation, we’ll crumble,” one protester said. Fellow protestors echoed his sentiment, shouting “Hold the line!”, continuing the chant as they marched across the Brooklyn Bridge.
WATCH:
“We are the foundation on which this city stands, and without that foundation we’ll crumble,” says a speaker representing city workers at the antimandate protest. The crowd angrily chants, “Hold the line!” #HappeningNow pic.twitter.com/QF0rR5RnL1
— Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) October 25, 2021
Several other protestors gathered around a woman kneeling emphatically in prayer, denouncing the mandate.
WATCH:
#HappeningNow thousands of municipal workers gathered outside NYC City Hall to protest vaccination mandates pic.twitter.com/dF6qSZJ8YX
— Scootercaster (@ScooterCasterNY) October 25, 2021
Protests from a myriad of groups have taken place over the past several weeks in opposition to de Blasio’s mandate, including a large demonstration outside of The New York Times office building, where protestors shouted “Defund the media!” and waved signs against forced vaccination. In September, hundreds of New Yorkers protested vaccine mandates, with several protesters chanting “f*ck Joe Biden” and waving American flags. (RELATED: Vaccine Mandate Protests Explode Across New York City, With Some Chanting ‘F*ck Joe Biden’)
New York became the first city in the country to require vaccination in venues such as gyms and restaurants, and the municipal government has fined businesses for not abiding by de Blasio’s vaccine mandate.
If city workers remain completely unvaccinated by the Oct. 29th deadline, they will be placed on unpaid leave until they provide proof of vaccination to a supervisor.