A group of a few dozen protestors temporarily shut down the COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium, which has been turned into one of the largest vaccination sites in the country.
While the protesters only numbered in the dozens, the group was large enough to force the Los Angeles Fire Department to shut down traffic to the vaccine site after the protesters gathered at the entrance of the stadium, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The L.A. Times reports that the group was made up of anti-vaccine advocates and unspecified members of “far-right groups.” The entrance was closed at 2pm PST, forcing senior citizens and others who qualify for the vaccine to wait even longer than normal. It was re-opened about an hour later.
From the L.A. Times:
A post on social media described the demonstration as the “SCAMDEMIC PROTEST/MARCH.” It advised participants to “please refrain from wearing Trump/MAGA attire as we want our statement to resonate with the sheeple. No flags but informational signs only.[”]
“This is a sharing information protest and march against everything COVID, Vaccine, PCR Tests, Lockdowns, Masks, Fauci, Gates, Newsom, China, digital tracking, etc.”
After social media users blamed the Los Angeles Police Department for closing the vaccine site, the department said it had no role in shutting the gates. The police department also said that everyone who had an appointment would still be able to receive their COVID-19 vaccine.
We are aware of social media posts referring to protestors showing up at the Dodger Stadium COVID-19 vaccination site. Preliminary reports are that protestors remained peaceful. The LAPD did NOT close the gates, and per LA City Fire, all scheduled vaccines will be delivered. https://t.co/l5zEW3UAOt
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 31, 2021
According to Deadline, the Dodger Stadium site has managed to process thousands of vaccinations a day, and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) has established a goal of vaccinating 12,000 people per day at the site. In a single day last week, the Dodger Stadium site performed 7,730 vaccinations, reports The New York Times.
Receiving a vaccine at Dodger Stadium also requires a car, which can make it difficult for some seniors to receive vaccinations at the city’s mass-vaccination site. Furthermore, some seniors have also said they’ve had trouble finding bathrooms to use while they wait in line.
“I inched along for two hours,” one senior wrote on Facebook, reports the L.A. Times. “My appointment was long past, and the call of nature forced me to give up. It has been impossible to get another appointment.” Another senior reportedly wrote that she considered canceling her appointment due to anxiety, or buying an adult diaper.
A spokesperson for Garcetti told the Times that the Dodger Stadium site has portable restrooms for people to use while they wait in line.
Related: Garcetti Gets COVID-19 Vaccine After ‘Assisting On The Frontline,’ Says Office