For more than two weeks, there have been regular gatherings of protestors in the City of West Hollywood who seek to draw attention to their disapproval of health protocols related to COVID-19. These protests have targeted specific businesses in our City, such as medical offices and restaurants.
At this time, there is a County-level Public Health order, which establishes a mask requirement for indoor public settings. Organizations and businesses in West Hollywood must adhere to enforcement of such orders for the use of masks in indoor public settings, except while patrons are eating or drinking.
Additionally, a growing number of bars, restaurants, and clubs in our City have taken an added step to require evidence of full COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test as a condition of entry and service. This is within their rights and the City of West Hollywood applauds these efforts.
The City of West Hollywood stands by our businesses as they work to do everything in their power to protect the health of staff, customers, and community members as rates of transmission of the COVID-19 Delta variant rise in the nation and in our region.
The City of West Hollywood embraces the exercise of first amendment rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of speech and it welcomes those who choose to voice their dissent and gather here. The City of West Hollywood is working, each day, with the West Hollywood Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to ensure assemblies are peaceful. When there may be substantial threats to public safety, a gathering may be declared unlawful in order to protect people and property.
We are aware that enforcing COVID-19 safeguards has been a challenge in our local businesses and that, at times, there have been concerns about personal safety for staff and patrons of our local businesses. Any such concerns should immediately be communicated to the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station.We affirm the tireless efforts and deep commitment of our businesses and residents as we collectively work to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Our message to people who live, work, and play in West Hollywood: mask up, get vaccinated, stay safe.
Opposing restrictions on movement, employment, education and basic consumption for unvaccinated people is a moral imperative for principled progressives and all liberty minded people.
To assume people don’t own their health is preposterous. To enforce only experimental vaccines is tyranny. The pharmacological only option to health with poorly studied side effects is unethical.
It’s not peaceful assembly when they’re screaming at people point blank through bullhorns. And it’s not free speech when it’s hate speech. The sheriff needs to monitor and control the protestors better.
Hate speech? Or you just disagree with them?
Sorry, Chris, but even hate speech is free speech.
But what YOU may call “hate speech”, because it makes you upset, likely would not be called that at all by a large segment of the population.
For the record, MOST of what the SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center) labels “hate speech”, I don’t. The SPLC is one of the greatest threats to freedom that I know of. They are quite simply Marxist!
Arrest them. This isn’t about personal freedom. This is about life and death. Should one choose to be unvaccinated, then they have chosen to limit their access to venues and services we all take for granted. They do not have a right to spread disease. That’s called assault with a deadly weapon.
Can’t arrest people because you disagree with them.
Wait, I don’t get it. No direct quotes from the mayor in the city hall press release??? Can this be correct? Perhaps it’s due to this controversial issue.
Who is the contributor? Why aren’t they listed? What are their qualifications? Why do they want anonymity? What are they covering up?
Is anyone paying these miscreants or do they have unlimited time to waste looking silly and irresponsible?
Why is the city attacking peaceful protestors?
They are not peaceful. they are running into traffic and getting into fights with people on the street.
Did you even read the article?
“The City of West Hollywood embraces the exercise of first amendment rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of speech and it welcomes those who choose to voice their dissent and gather here.”
Freedom of assembly, it’s a thing y’all
The City “Applauding the efforts” of businesses to enact medical discrimination via serosorting door policies is tantamount to a threat against the people of WeHo that pay their salaries. The current City leadership’s failure to premeditate the obviously likely inequitable outcomes of implementation along racial/economic/disability/class correlates is just astounding. Shame!