Miss a day, miss a lot. Subscribe to The Defender's Top News of the Day. It's free.
An estimated 4,000 people showed up Wednesday in Albany, New York, at the state’s capitol building to let state lawmakers know they stand united against vaccine mandates.
The “We Will Not Comply Rally” marked the kickoff of the People’s Coalition of New York, a coalition of more than 40 groups that oppose medical mandates and are working to restore the civil liberties of all New Yorkers.
Wednesday’s crowd represented people of every race, religion, political background and socioeconomic status.
Vaccinated and unvaccinated united in a peaceful demonstration to voice their opposition to vaccine and mask mandates imposed on the people of the state of New York.
“Where there is a risk, there cannot be a mandate,” New York teacher Vicki Savini told the crowd. “Where there is risk, there must be choice.”
“We are at war for our families, at war for our children, at war for our lives,” civil rights attorney Trisha Lindsay told the empowered audience. “When you come for our children, you have declared war!”
New York City transit and labor leader Tramell Thompson stunned the crowd when he announced he was fully vaccinated, but ripped up his vaccine card because he opposes vaccine passports.
At the State Capital building in Albany NY @progressiveact who is fully V rips up his V card in front of thousands of protesters against the mandates #ny #rally #blm pic.twitter.com/YiXn1olcRd
— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) January 5, 2022
New York lawmakers this session are weighing several bills that would dramatically impact the lives of those who choose to remain unvaccinated.
A8378 would mandate that all children receive the COVID injection to attend school. Since religious exemptions were removed in 2019, this bill would force parents to choose between finding alternate means for educating their children or being coerced into giving their child an experimental injection, the long-term impacts of which are unknown.
S75 would implement a statewide registry of all adult vaccination records. This bill is an egregious violation of every citizen’s right to privacy. It would also contribute to the continued removal of our personal freedoms and human rights. Such a registry would be the pathway to a possible state-wide vaccine passport.
“Who here feels like life is gonna be hard without this shot?” professional boxer-turned-activist Cara Castronouva asked. “We are going to win this war … This is still the USA!”
Patriotism, the U.S. Constitution, peaceful non-compliance, civil disobedience, and protecting the future and freedoms of all Americans and future generations were the common threads running through the speakers’ inspiring messages.
Many speakers referenced the Constitution’s “We the people” in their speeches to reflect the unity and strength of the health freedom movement. This unity was also reflected in the diversity of the protestors.
“This movement doesn’t belong to any person, government or organization,” activist Donna Schmidt of New Yorkers Against Medical Mandates reminded demonstrators. “It belongs to we the people!”
The rally in Albany established that the fight for health freedom is gaining momentum.
“We know the truth, and we stand in the truth,” said Mary Holland, president of Children’s Health Defense. “How do we get to the tipping point? Through love. To encourage [others] to seek out more information, not shame them.”
Wednesday’s rally reaffirmed that despite the display of passion and defiance, the core and foundation of the health freedom movement is, has been and must always be love.
