September 17, 2021
They may not have agreed on everything, but they were all 100% opposed to mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. This week saw the first day of school, the return of many shows to Broadway theaters, Fashion Week, the Met Gala, and on Monday, a huge protest in Foley Square against the City’s so called “jab or job” mandatory vaccine policy. Many NYC employees were impacted by the Mayor’s order which has now been slapped with a Temporary Restraining Order until a court hearing on the 22nd.
Michael Kane, NY Teachers for Choice
NY Teachers for Choice organizer Michael Kane kicked off the rally by stating that he’s neither conservative or anti-union, or even anti-vax, but said he’s completely opposed to medical mandates for teachers. He recounted his “proud” union lineage (both parents, himself) before calling on teachers to renounce their UFT membership, as he said he’s already done himself.
Other speakers followed, without any such disclaimer, supporting a religious exemption to the vaccine mandate, or drawing a comparison between nazis and mandatory vaccines, stating their objections to this particular vaccine (although not necessarily to all vaccines), invoking the principle of bodily autonomy, or wrapping their vaccine resistance within a pre-existing opposition to President Biden, Mayor de Blasio, or even to Socialism.
Bill Pepitone, a retired NYPD veteran, Republican Mayoral candidate, and nephew of NY Yankee legend Joe, fired up the crowd with a campaign pitch tailored to the occasion and aimed squarely at the current administration. “We have a Mayor who told PD they can’t protect us unless they comply. We’re not going to let you teach our children unless you comply. Bullshit! We will not comply! We the People are tired of asking for basic Rights. We are now demanding them!”
Opera singer Lisa Eden sang the National Anthem before relating that she can’t work or even watch a performance at the Met anymore without a Covid-19 vaccine. A preacher warned the protesters not to let anybody take away their Right to worship as they please.
Attorney Tricia Lindsay said, “You don’t get to tell me what to do with my family, what to do with my body…An armed citizenry cannot be taken over by the government…This is a war that’s been declared on every one of us! We come in the name of our Lord. Jesus Christ is God!”
The crowd chanted, “we will not comply!” and held up signs denouncing Socialism, proclaiming “my body, my choice,” and promoting the Great American Walkout. The headline speaker, antivax activist Del Bigtree, chatted with attendees behind the stage for almost an hour before finally taking the mic.
Del was way ahead of the antivax curve having produced the film, “Vaxxed, From Cover-Up to Catastrophe” back in 2016. He was also involved in the anti measles vaccination campaign among Orthodox Jews here in NY in 2019, according to his Wikipedia bio. At the rally he presented a collection of facts, excerpts from medical journals, and frightening revelations about the dangers of vaccines.
Essentially, his message was that the Covid-19 vax isn’t just ineffective, it’s downright dangerous and you’ll be worse off if you get it than if you don’t. Most disturbingly, he insinuated that it’s well known to government scientists that getting vaccinated is no good for you. The crowd received him enthusiastically and some could be seen sporting merch from his webcast, The Highwire.
Del Bigtree explains.
A truck festooned with LED billboards was parked across the street during the rally. It featured a scrolling stream of vaccine related claims, some of which were quite easily debunked as false, e.g “not FDA approved.”
